Six law enforcement officers from various agencies in West Tennessee have been indicted by a Dyer County Grand Jury, with charges including official misconduct, official oppression, assault, and tampering with evidence, as reported by Action News 5. The indictments follow a state investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) into the October 2024 arrest of Jackson Hopper, accused of killing Ellie Young, a 22-year-old medical student, during a breast cancer awareness event. The officers in question were booked into the Dyer County Jail and later released on a $25,000 bond each.
The arrest of Hopper, which occurred after a chase through three counties culminating in a crash on Highway 51, was captured on video, showcasing the officers using force to restrain Hopper, who was later seen with a black eye in his initial court appearance; the internal affairs investigations that followed were likely spurred by the footage and the allegations leveled against the officers. The officers charged, according to WREG, include officers from the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, Mason Police Department, and the Tipton County Sheriff's Office.
In a statement obtained by FOX13 Memphis, Lauderdale County Sheriff Brian Kelley expressed a range of emotions from "confusion to hurt," not only for his officers and department but also for the family of Ellie Young, he reiterated his belief in the judicial system and the presumption of innocence. Kelley supports all the officers against an impossible situation and asks for judgment to be withheld until more information is disclosed, despite no additional evidence being currently provided to his office.
Meanwhile, Tipton County Sheriff Shannon Beasley also shared his thoughts on the development, emphasizing the actions of his deputies, stating "These men acted courageously and without hesitation or reservation, put themselves in harms way in the pursuit of justice while pursuing a violent, murder suspect." Sheriff Beasley further detailed the difficult situation the deputies faced, having to make split-second decisions in what he described as a violent situation, during which Hopper allegedly led law enforcement on a high-speed chase and attempted to run over officers; this account was mirrored in a statement released by the Dyersburg Sheriff's Office, highlighting the danger the officers faced while referencing a 911 call made by Hopper asserting he was still armed and threatening further violence.
As of now, more detailed information from the investigations awaits release, but the gravity of these charges amid an already tragic context invites scrutiny of law enforcement tactics and intense public interest in how the case against these officers and the alleged murderer will unfold.
