Tenn. Deputy Working as Part-Time Police Officer Killed by Gunman

Dec. 15, 2024

Rick Finley, a McNairy County Sheriff's Office sergeant working as a part-time Selmer police officer, was responding to a suspicious person report when a clash with an armed suspect turned deadly.

Source Officer.com News

Joe Vince

McNairy County, TN, Sheriff's Sgt. Rick Finley, who also worked as a part-time Selmer police officer.

A Tennessee sheriff's deputy working part-time as a police officer was shot and killed Saturday when he confronted a suspect trying to enter a home.

Rick Finley, a sergeant with the McNairy Sheriff's Office who was working part-time with the Selmer Police Department, was part of the response to a suspicious person report shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, WHBQ-TV reports. According to police, a 39-year-old man allegedly tried to enter a home and then opened fire into the residence's door.

When Finley reached the scene, he clashed with the suspect in a driveway across the street. That's when the suspect began shooting, and Finley was fatally struck.

Another responding officer returned fire, and the suspect was fatally shot.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.