Overview

• The body of Meigs County Deputy Robert "R.J." Leonard was found in the Tennessee River, marking a tragic end to the search that began after his patrol car was discovered submerged.
• Leonard had been missing since Wednesday night after making an arrest; his last communication suggested distress with the word "water."
• The patrol car, found upside down in the river, contained the body of a woman believed to be the arrestee, though her identity has not been confirmed.
• Authorities are treating the incident as an accident, theorizing that Leonard, unfamiliar with the area, may have missed a turn while distracted.
• Leonard, who had recently joined the Meigs County Sheriff's Office, leaves behind a wife and five children.