Tenn. Deputy Celebrating His Birthday Is Shot Dead by Police

An off-duty Tennessee sheriff's deputy celebrating his birthday with two other officers was shot dead by officers from a different force after the night took a disturbing turn, police say. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says Daniel Hendrix, a corrections officer for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, became "agitated" and "enraged" while celebrating with two off-duty female Chattanooga police officers and threatened them with his personal firearm, the Times Free Press reports. After the female officers fled and called 911, Hendrix was shot dead by responding Chattanooga officers when he failed to obey orders to drop his weapon, the TBI says.

The shooting happened around 1:30am Wednesday at a Chattanooga home owned by one of the officers. Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond offered condolences to Hendrix's family for what he called an "unfortunate incident," the New York Daily News reports. The deputy, who had been celebrating his 26th birthday, joined the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in 2013, WRCB reports. He was charged and suspended after allegedly assaulting a female inmate in 2015 but was later cleared of all charges. (More police shooting stories.)