Knox County deputies cleared of wrongdoing after kidnapping suspect killed

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — The deputies who were involved in a shooting that left a kidnapping suspect dead have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Hamilton County District Attorney concluded that all the officers acted within their capacity as sworn law enforcement officers and that their use of force was justified. Four deputies were involved in the shooting, three from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and one from the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office shared that an 11-year-old went missing from a residence on Crippen Road near Maynardville Pike between late January 30, 2024, and early Jan. 31 . An Endangered Child Alert was issued for her on Thursday, Feb. 1.

Shortly after 1 a.m. on Feb. 2, the child and a suspect identified as Edward Ahrens , were located by KCSO Juvenile Detectives and members of the Technology Crimes Division and Narcotics Unit, along with Catoosa County, Georgia, and other Tennessee agencies in East Ridge, Tennessee.

The DA wrote that Ahrens refused to stop his vehicle and comply with law enforcement commands resulting in the four officers firing their weapons at him. Ahren was struck by the gunfire and pronounced dead a short time later. The child was found and KCSO said that she was not injured.

The TBI was then charged to investigate the shooting. The DA shared that the investigation went through case reports, interviews with those involved, crime scene reports, photos, and recorded evidence including law enforcement videos. The review of the shooting was officially closed on June 5.

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