The Sevier County sheriff is defending a deputy and calling for public patience in response to bodycam video that shows the deputy fired his service weapon repeatedly during a December call and then had what appears to be a physical breakdown.
The confrontation involving Deputy Justin Johnson resulted in assault charges being filed against Brian D. Mullinax, 41, and Tina Cody, 37, who were at the Sevierville scene. Authorities alleged the two committed assault, although only Cody had physical contact with Johnson while he was trying to cuff her.
Johnson's bodycam video, obtained by 10News, shows Johnson as he responded to a call the morning of Dec. 31, 2016, on Sharp Road in Sevierville.
He'd been dispatched there on a report of a "morbidly obese" woman living in a small camper on the property who had fallen and could not get up, according to records obtained by 10News.
For several minutes, Johnson can be seen on the video speaking to the woman, who complained about the care she was getting from the trailer owner and the owner's daughter. She said the landlord was charging her $400 a month for the camper, which lacked numerous amenities including a stove.
Johnson's video also shows ambulance personnel at the camper.
At about the six-minute mark of Johnson's bodycam video, he spots a woman outside running on foot from a nearby mobile home. He ordered her to stop but she kept running. Johnson reported to dispatch that he suspected she had an outstanding warrant.
Johnson ran around to the street and, with pistol drawn, confronted the woman, identified as Cody. When she tried to flee, he chased her down, and she ended up on the ground in a field.
An EMT helped Johnson cuff her when she resisted. She cursed Johnson, who is black, calling him racial epithets.
As the struggle continued, a man could be heard off camera at a nearby mobile home. The man -- Mullinax, Cody's boyfriend -- appeared to curse and shout that he was "recording" the encounter.
Johnson, however, appeared to think otherwise. Suddenly, he aimed his pistol toward the mobile home and fired repeatedly.
In a Sheriff's Office incident report, Johnson said he heard the man yell out that he had a gun so he fired "in defense of my life." He added he saw Mullinax "aiming an object at me" from the mobile home porch.
As the EMT remained on the ground with Cody, Johnson ran back toward the road and turned around.
He told a radio dispatcher he needed help.
"I've got a guy with a gun! Shots fired! Give me help!" he said in the recording.
Johnson also yelled at Mullinax at the mobile home, ordering him to show his hands and get on the ground.
A woman at the mobile home could be heard saying, "We ain't got no gun."
Suddenly, about 12 minutes into Johnson's time at the scene, he begins groaning and moaning. An EMT sprang up, went to him, ordered him to hand over his pistol, which Johnson still had, and told him to get control of himself.
He also told Johnson he and the other EMT would help him. The man then pointed the gun at the mobile home.
Johnson appeared overcome for more than a minute but then finally grew more calm, telling the EMT, "I"m OK," and taking his pistol back.
He continued to breathe heavily, however, sometimes huffing and putting, the video shows.
According to Johnson's report, Mullinax dropped what he'd been holding -- not a gun -- in his hand. He put his hands in the air, moved to the ground and lay down.
A responding Sevier County officer walked up to Johnson, told him to turn the sound off on his bodycam and the screen went blank, the video shows.
Cody and Mullinax were arrested and charged, according to records.
A notation from "Detective Bohanan" on the incident report states: "Because of the assault on Johnson and the fact that he was taken to the hospital with injuries and may have suffered some kind of cardiac event as the result of this assault by both the male and female and all the statements and evidence I charged Tina Carrie Jo Cody and Brian David Mullinax with aggravated assault on Deputy Johnson."
Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals issued a statement Monday night about the video and the incident.
"Deputy Johnson responded to a situation that in an instant called for a split-second response," Seals wrote.
He said he wouldn't say more about it.
"First, please accept my sincere appreciation for the support we receive from the folks in Sevier County who are able to remain impartial, understanding and prudent until the facts can be heard properly and according to our Criminal Justice System," the statement reads.
Seals wrote that it was hard for him not to speak about a case sometimes "while public scrutiny and speculation runs rampant. Sometimes cases take many months, even years to be heard."
He added that his deputies do "the best that he or she can, given the dynamic, complicated, stressful, dangerous, and fluid situations that we are called to mediate every time a call for help is dispatched."
He added the department accepts responsibility for its actions "in all situations."