Tennessee police shootout leaves 1 dead, police dog wounded

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A gunfight between police and a man inside a home in east Tennessee left him dead and wounded a K-9 police dog named Hank, who is recovering from surgery, authorities said Saturday.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation did not say if police gunfire killed the man, 63-year-old David Wright, who was found dead inside the house. The bureau said an autopsy would determine the manner and cause of death.

A second person in the home was hospitalized with unspecified injuries. The bureau’s news release did not identify the injured person.

Officers went to the house in Sevierville on Friday night after a felony in which someone evaded police in a vehicle, the bureau said. Someone inside the home fired at the officers, who shot back. The bureau is investigating the shooting.

Sevierville city spokesperson Bob Stahlke said Hank the K-9 officer underwent surgery for a gunshot wound and was transferred to a veterinary clinic in Knoxville.

The Belgian Malinois was later sent home to recuperate with his police handler, Stahlke said.

Two sheriff’s deputies and one city officer were treated for minor injuries that were not caused by gunshots, the bureau said. They were not identified.

Sevierville is north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and about a half-hour drive from Knoxville.