tennessee Bounty Hunters allegedly shot two men and one of them died, The Associated Press reported on 29 April. According to a statement by Jim Knoll, a Clarksville police spokesperson, they will be requesting a grand jury as neither of the two men shot were on the warrant that the Bounty Hunters were trying to serve.
While the Police are unable to comment much further on the case due to the pending grand jury charges, the death of one of the men has been confirmed. The dead man was the father of three children and was only 24-years-old.
He has been named as Jalen Johnson and it appears he was killed as a result of "mistaken identity."
Bounty hunters in Tennessee must be employed by licensed professional bondsman
Bounty hunters in Tennessee are not licensed by the state to "apprehend fugitives who have skipped bail." According to the Tennessee Bounty Hunter - "How to become a Bounty Hunter" website, all Bounty Hunters must be employed by a "licensed professional bondsman."
The requirements to become a Bounty Hunter are governed by Chapter 40-11-318 of the Tennessee Annotated Code. In terms of that legislation "Bounty hunting" means a person who acts as an agent of a professional bondsman who attempts to or takes into custody a person who has failed to appear in court and whose bond has been forfeited, for a fee, the payment of which is contingent upon the taking of a person into custody and returning the person to the custody of the professional bondsman for whom the bounty hunter works."
Three steps to becoming a Bounty Hunter
A "hunter has to undergo a training course and must have no criminal record.
It seems that once it is established that Bounty Hunter applicants are free of a criminal record, it is reasonably easy to do a course. Tennessee FTA advertises an online 'recovery' class where people can download a "Step by step class on Bounty Hunting and the bail system." This class also allows would-be Bounty Hunters to learn about the jail to bail process and it explains "in detail how the bail bond system operates."
Throw in some "scenarios and tips" from experienced Bounty Hunters, and you would be good to go and work for a bondsman.
A mandatory extra is that bounty hunters must take eight hours of continuing education each year. according is It is recommended that you contact the local sheriff’s office for assistance prior to chasing and apprehending a fugitive, for your own safety and to ensure you are following the rules of arrest.
A wild arrest attempt that lead to death of the wrong man- Grand Jury
One of the final mentions is that Bounty Hunters are recommended to "contact the local sheriff’s office for assistance prior to chasing and apprehending a fugitive, for your own safety and to ensure you are following the rules of arrest." Quite how these bondsmen got themselves into a gunshot incident with the wrong people is unknown. What does come across from the story run by The Associated Press, is that it was a rather "wild" arrest attempt.
A relative of the dead man was quoted as saying "they were out of control." The police are troubled by the incident and as Knoll said, "Any time you start firing off bullets and chasing people you're putting the public in danger, no matter who it is."
