CLOSE The TBI's Susan Niland gives an update on the shooting death of Sgt. Daniel Baker of the Dickson Co. Sheriff's Office, and the search for suspect Steven Wiggins. Emily West, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee
Steven Wiggins mugshot from a 2017 arrest in Williamson County (Photo: TBI)
Police are searching for a man they say killed a Dickson County Sheriff's Office deputy on Wednesday morning.
A manhunt is underway.
Here's what we know so far.
More: Dickson County deputy shot and killed in altercation, search for suspect underway
More: Steven Wiggins, Dickson County shooting suspect, has long record of violent crimes in Tennessee
What happened
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says suspect Steven Wiggins shot and killed a DCSO deputy on Wednesday morning.
According to officials, Wiggins was involved in an early morning altercation with the deputy after a suspicious vehicle was reported in Kingston Springs.
Contact was lost with the deputy, and the sheriff's office tracked his vehicle and found him deceased inside.
Sgt. Daniel Baker (Photo: File photo)
Who is the deputy?
Authorities have identified the deputy as 32-year-old Sgt. Daniel Scott Baker.
At an afternoon news briefing, a visibly shaken Dickson County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe called Baker one of their "best deputies."
"It is my prayer to God that our court will be a terror to [Wiggins] with the punishment he receives."
Baker was employed with the DCSO on February 18, 2008. He graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy as a certified officer on August 1 of that year.
Baker became a Patrol Corporal on April 3, 2011 and then became a Patrol Sergeant on Sept. 9, 2012. He joined the Dickson County S.O.R.T. team on August 19, 2013.
He leaves behind a wife and a daughter.
More: Sgt. Daniel Baker, slain Dickson deputy, once rescued a trapped woman, caught drunken gunman
CLOSE Sgt. Daniel Baker, a Marine who became a deputy for the Dickson County Sheriff's Department, was fatally shot early Wednesday morning. Brett Kelman, The Tennessean
Be on the lookout
Steven Wiggins has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Top 10 Most Wanted list.
He is considered armed and dangerous.
Authorities urge anyone who spots him to call 911.
A $7,500 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
More: Here's why your phone keeps buzzing with Steven Wiggins alerts
What is a Tennessee Blue Alert?
At approximately 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., mobile devices in Tennessee rang with a Tennessee Blue Alert, containing information about Wiggins.
Blue Alerts are similar to AMBER Alerts, but used in cases in which a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously injured in the line-of-duty, according to TBI.
Your cell phone may have just alerted you to a Tennessee Blue Alert.
It's similar to an AMBER Alert, but used in cases in which a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously injured in the line-of-duty.
MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/cBhAwnXcZI — TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 30, 2018
There are five criteria that must be met in order for a Blue Alert to be issued:
A sworn law enforcement officer is killed, sustains life threatening injuries or the officer is missing in the line of duty under circumstances warranting concern for the law enforcement officer's safety.
The suspect or suspects pose an imminent threat to public safety and law enforcement personnel
A description of the offender or vehicle is available for statewide broadcast to the public and law enforcement 911 centers.
Prior to activation, if the suspect or suspects are identified, the requesting agency will immediately place the suspect in the temporary felon file in the National Crime Information Center and obtain felony warrants as soon as possible or within 24 hours.
The head of any Tennessee law enforcement agency, Colonel of the Highway Patrol, Chief, Sheriff or their designee of the investigating law enforcement agency of jurisdiction requests the TBI to activate the Blue Alert system.
TBI began issuing these alerts on July 1, 2011.
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Steven Wiggins' mugshot from a 2017 arrest in Williamson County. (Photo: TBI)
Tennesseans phones have been blaring with alerts about Steven Wiggins all day.
Wiggins is a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Dickson County Sheriff's Office deputy Wednesday.
A statewide manhunt is underway.
More: Sgt. Daniel Baker, slain Dickson deputy, once rescued a trapped woman, caught drunken gunman
More: What we know about Steven Wiggins and the Dickson County deputy shooting
The alerts are Blue Alerts, sent out like Amber Alerts in cases where a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
Your cell phone may have just alerted you to a Tennessee Blue Alert.
It's similar to an AMBER Alert, but used in cases in which a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously injured in the line-of-duty.
MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/cBhAwnXcZI — TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 30, 2018
So far the alerts have been sent with the suspect's name and description, as well as that he is considered armed and dangerous. No other information is provided.
"STEVEN WIGGINS*ARMED AND DANGEROUS W/ M BROWN HAIR/EYES**6'1,220 855-ALERTTBI," the alerts read.
According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh DeVine, the alerts are limited to 90 characters.
Appreciate the feedback, Mike. We only had 90 characters to use and quickly had to make decisions about what to pass along. We're gathering all the feedback and will fold that in with our review effort on the back end, as we always look to improve. — Josh DeVine (@TBIJoshDeVine) May 30, 2018
Residents across Tennessee have been voicing their frustration that the alerts don't provide much context other than a name.
These emergency alerts need to be more specific. Is Steve Wiggins on my porch or is he 2.5 hours away? pic.twitter.com/TgrLSMASif — Carli (@ItsameaCarli) May 30, 2018
The @TBInvestigation alerts would be so much more helpful if a general location was given instead of freaking out everyone in TN. Instead, everyone in TN googled Steven Wiggins simultaneously. — Tracy Hughes (@TheTracyHughes) May 30, 2018
Tennessee keeps sending out an alert on Steve Wiggins being armed and dangerous but okay are we looking at Memphis or Bristol? Do I need a baseball bat and a taser or is a locked door good. I NEED ANSWERS — Beca Zlatan (@BecaDonahue) May 30, 2018
There are five criteria that must be met in order for a Blue Alert to be issued:
A sworn law enforcement officer is killed, sustains life-threatening injuries or the officer is missing in the line of duty under circumstances warranting concern for the law enforcement officer's safety.
The suspect or suspects pose an imminent threat to public safety and law enforcement personnel.
A description of the offender or vehicle is available for statewide broadcast to the public and law enforcement 911 centers.
Prior to activation, if the suspect or suspects are identified, the requesting agency will immediately place the suspect in the temporary felon file in the National Crime Information Center and obtain felony warrants as soon as possible or within 24 hours.
The head of any Tennessee law enforcement agency, Colonel of the Highway Patrol, Chief, Sheriff or their designee of the investigating law enforcement agency of jurisdiction requests the TBI to activate the Blue Alert system.
TBI began issuing these alerts on July 1, 2011, but this is only the second alert they've sent, according to DeVine.
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(CNN) A manhunt was underway in Tennessee Wednesday for a man suspected of fatally shooting a sheriff's deputy responding to a suspicious vehicle report, authorities said.
Steven Joshua Wiggins was identified initially as a person of interest and later as a suspect in Wednesday morning's shooting of Dickson County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Daniel Baker, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation acting director Jason Locke said.
Baker, a 10-year law enforcement veteran, had responded to a resident's 911 call about a suspicious vehicle about 7 a.m. in Dickson County -- just over 40 miles west of Nashville, TBI spokeswoman Susan Niland said.
After a period of not being able to contact the deputy, Baker's vehicle was tracked with GPS in a wooded area about 2 miles from the location of the initial call by an officer from another agency, Locke said. Baker was dead in his vehicle.
NEW PICTURE: Here's a more recent photograph of Steven Wiggins, from a 2017 arrest in Williamson County. pic.twitter.com/qDSMgKBNMN — TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 30, 2018
"You can see what can transpire from something that we think is just a suspicious vehicle," an emotional Dickson County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe told reporters.
Read More
Police in Tennessee are searching for a suspect in the shooting death of a Dickson County deputy. Steven Wiggins, 31, has been identified as the person of interest in the deputy’s death, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said on Twitter. Anyone with information is asked to call 911. The shooting occurred Wednesday morning. Sergeant Daniel Baker has been identified as the Dickson County deputy killed in the shooting.
A resident reported a suspicious vehicle about 7 a.m. Wednesday and Baker responded, Susan Niland, a spokesperson for the TBI said at a press conference. The sheriff’s office lost contact with Baker, but tracked his vehicle using GPS. An officer from another agency located the sergeant’s vehicle about two to three miles away from the location of the original call and Baker was found dead inside, Niland said.
An emotional Dickson County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe said at a press conference, “We just ask for your help in getting the photo and information out so that we can hold this person responsible and fully accountable. And it is my prayer to God that our court will be a terror to him on the punishment he receives.”
Here’s what you need to know about Steven Wiggins and the shooting:
1. Wiggins Is Suspected of Assaulting His Girlfriend & Stealing Her Car During a Tuesday Incident
Steven Joshua Wiggins is suspected of assaulting his girlfriend and then stealing her car during an incident on Tuesday in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, according to WSMV-TV. Police in Kingston Springs said he put a gun to his girlfriend’s head and slapped her and then fled in her car. She said he also pulled her hair out during the incident. The victim told police Wiggins had been “doing meth all night” and smoking marijuana.
Wiggins was then named a person of interest in the Wednesday shooting of Deputy Daniel Baker. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Susan Niland said there is video evidence from the location of the shooting that helped identify him.
Niland said the resident in the area of Sam Vineyard Road in Dickson, Tennessee, called to report the suspicious vehicle, but Niland said she doesn’t know what about the vehicle seemed suspicious to the caller.
Just got to the scene. Deputies have Daisy Lewis Lane blocked off. This is where the child was reported missing. Her body was found somewhere in this field about a 1,000 yards away from her house. pic.twitter.com/XNTPJwGiwT — Kristi O'Connor WBTV (@KristiOConnor_) May 29, 2018
Police said a female is also being interviewed in connection with the Wednesday shooting, but police have not released details about what she is being questioned about. “We’re not providing any additional information about that at this point,” Niland said.
Dickson County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe told reporters, “There’s not much else I can say other than our hearts shattered with this. This was one of our best deputies, he’s a supervisor, he’s worked his way up to sergeant on patrol. And he’s one of the guys that puts it on the line everyday to keep our community safe. And he was doing that again today with just a call of a suspicious vehicle and then you see what can transpire from something that’s just a suspicious vehicle. And people questions us sometimes and why we are so on edge and why there’s more than one deputy or why there’s multiple cars, this is a prime example of why we have to take care of each other and take care of our citizens.”
2. Wiggins Attacked His Girlfriend With an Axe in 2012 & Has a Criminal History That Also Includes Domestic Assault, Aggravated Kidnapping & False Imprisonment Arrests
Steven Wiggins has a lengthy record in Tennessee, including eight arrests on domestic violence charges since 2006, records show. He was arrested in Williamson County in 2017 on an assault charge. In June 2017, he was charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and false imprisonment, also in Williamson County. In August 2016, Wiggins was arrested in Dickson County and charged with violating his bond. He had been arrested two months earlier in Fairview, Tennessee, on charges of aggravated domestic assault and resisting arrest. He also has been arrested for theft.
Wiggins was arrested in 2012 in Dickson County and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. According to the indictment obtained by the Tennessee River Valley News, Wiggins attacked his girlfriend with an axe during that incident in October 2012.
In 2006, he was charged with domestic assault in Dickson County, which was his first arrest.
Online records show Wiggins was supposed to check in for supervision with the Tennessee Department of Corrections earlier this year, but did not. He is listed in an online offender database as “absconded.”
3. He Is Considered to Be ‘Armed & Dangerous’
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Steven Wiggins should be considered armed and dangerous. “Our heart’s broken,” Sheriff Jeff Bledose said. “We’re driven right now by the focus and resolve to make sure that this person is captured. He is still considered a threat to our community. Anyone who would murder a deputy sheriff protecting our community is a threat to anyone.”
Wiggins was described as a white male who is balding with brown hair. He is 6’1″ and weighs 220 pounds. Police said he could be on foot. A massive manhunt has been launched in the area near where the shooting occurred. Several agencies, including the state highway patrol, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and several local departments, are involved in the search.
“We are looking for this individual … anyone with information is urged to call 911, he is a very dangerous individual,” TBI spokesperson Susan Niland said. “They can also contact us through 1-800-TBI-FIND. It’s very important that we get this individual in custody.”
Bledsoe said, “If he is listening or anyone who knows him that can talk some sense into him that he would turn himself in, that’s what he needs to do. Because we’re not going to rest and we’re not going to leave anything turned until he is brought in for justice and is taken into custody so no one else is at risk and anyone else’s life is threatened or taken. They just need to know that we’re not resting and we have the full support and backing of everyone across this state.”
4. A ‘Blue Alert’ Was Issued, Sending Info About Wiggins to Phones of Tennessee Residents & Wiggins Has Been Added to the State’s Top 10 Most Wanted List
We're issuing a Tennessee Blue Alert for Steven Wiggins, the person-of-interest in the shooting death of a Dickson County sheriff's deputy. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. Spot him? Call 911! pic.twitter.com/Aj8oxy06hd — TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 30, 2018
Tennessee authorities issued a “Blue Alert,” which sent information about Wiggins to phones of residents in the state, letting them know that he is wanted. It is a relatively new law that allows law enforcement to send out an alert similar to an Amber Alert in connection to police shootings.
“Your cell phone may have just alerted you to a Tennessee Blue Alert,” the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation tweeted. “It’s similar to an AMBER Alert, but used in cases in which a law enforcement officer has been killed or seriously injured in the line-of-duty.”
We've also added Wiggins to our Top 10 Most Wanted list. There is now a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. pic.twitter.com/vnERWldSXQ — TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 30, 2018
It is only the second time the alert has been used in the program’s history.
Wiggins has been added to the Tennessee Top 10 Most Wanted list and a $7,500 reward has been issued for information leading to his arrest.
5. Dickson County Sergeant Daniel Baker Is Survived by His Wife & Young Daughter
Sergeant Daniel Baker has been named as the Dickson County deputy killed in the shooting. He is survived by his wife and his young daughter. Baker was 32. According to The Tennessean, Baker had worked for the sheriff’s office since 2008. He is a Marine Corps veteran and Columbia, Tennessee, native, according to his Facebook page. He graduated from Columbia Central High School in 2004. Baker and his wife would have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on June 7.
Please keep Deputy Daniel Baker's wife & small child in your prayers. A gunman shot and killed him this morning in Dickson County. pic.twitter.com/SEwA22smj8 — Stacy Case (@StacyCase_) May 30, 2018
In March, Baker chased and caught a drunken man who fired a gun in the parking lot of a Mary Poppins play at the Dickson Renaissance Center, The Tennessean reports. Baker was working security while off-duty and heard the shots. He chased the suspect onto Highway 46 and detained him until other officers arrived, the newspaper reports.
In 2013, Baker and another deputy helped rescue a woman who was trapped in a truck that overturned in a creek. He and Deputy Katelynd Scott went into the waist-deep water and freed the woman, who was under water, according to The Tennessean.
You can read more about Sergeant Daniel Baker at the link below:
