Rockford man charged with attempted criminal homicide after allegedly shooting deputies

A Rockford man has been taken into custody after allegedly shooting two Blount County Sheriff’s deputies.

Ronald Reed Millsaps, 59, has been charged with two counts of attempted criminal homicide, as well as aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and especially aggravated kidnapping, according to a press release from Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Deputy Corbin Smith, 25, and Deputy Edward Walker, 28, were responding to a domestic call on Jacob Springs Boulevard, Rockford.

When they arrived on the scene, Millsaps allegedly walked out of the garage door, disappeared briefly, reappeared and then started shooting at the deputies, BCSO Sheriff James Berrong said in a press conference Tuesday night.

Berrong said it was their estimate that there were “probably between 150-300 rounds shot at deputies” by Millsaps.

Walker and Smith were both struck in the legs, he said.

Both deputies put tourniquets on themselves while taking cover behind a police vehicle and were rescued by fellow deputies who responded to the scene, Berrong told the press.

Both were transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

When deputies returned fire, Millsaps retreated into the house, Berrong said.

“We had information also that he had weapons at every area of the house; in the windowsills and inside the door — that he was ready for battle,” Berrong said.

Millsaps had no prior arrests but BCSO deputies had responded to three previous domestic calls at the residence.

Berrong emphasized that in 34 years BSCO has not had a deputy shot. Just since January of this year, there have been four deputies shot.

“I don’t know what’s going on in society but it’s troubling,” he said.

An elderly female was also in the residence at the time. BSCO reported that Millsaps had threatened to shoot her, at which point the BCSO SWAT team entered the residence and took Millsaps into custody.

The woman was not reported as injured but was transported to an area hospital for observation. Berrong said she was a relative of Millsaps.

Berrong went on to thank the community. He also named and thanked law enforcement agencies that responded to assist BCSO. They included Maryville Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Blount County Fire Department, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, AMR Ambulance Service, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Lenoir City Police Department, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and Tennessee Homeland Security.

Berrong told the press that he had been to visit the two deputies in the hospital, one with his 4-week-old baby resting on his chest.

BCSO public information officer Marian O’Briant said Smith was released from University of Tennessee Medical Center late Tuesday evening and Walker should be released sometime Wednesday.

“By the grace of God, these deputies are still alive,” Berrong said