The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or TBI, has confirmed that a suspect Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who is accused of killing a Dickson County deputy on Wednesday has been taken into custody and was identified as Steven Wiggins. According to police, with the search spanning days, Wiggins was taken into custody after he was found early Friday morning, with the TBI also releasing more information concerning the case.
What happened?
The TBI released a photo of Wiggins in handcuffs in the back of a squad car early Friday morning on social media. Notably, his clothes appeared to be covered in mud with his jeans also having a noticeable rip.
On their official Twitter account, the TBI issued the following statements concerning the case:
“CAPTURED: Steven Wiggins is in custody! More details soon!”
“Teamwork and diligence has paid off! Steven Wiggins is in law enforcement custody. Thank you for your support during these past few days. More details on the arrest as soon as we can pull them together.”
According to The Tennessean, Wiggins is suspected to have taken the life of Daniel Baker, a Dickinson County sheriff’s deputy this past Wednesday while he was responding to a call concerning a suspicious vehicle on Sam Vineyard Road, around 40 miles west of Nashville; Baker was later found dead inside his vehicle in a wooded area a few miles away from the scene.
On Thursday night, Dickson Emergency Communications issued an alert concerning Wiggins being in the area of Wrigley Road in Lyles, which is located in Hickman County, and asked people to with information to call 911.
Who is Steven Wiggins?
Wiggins, whose full name is given as Steven Joshua Wiggins, is believed to be either 31 or 32 at the time of the incident.
According to WHNT, the TBI added Wiggins to the Top 10 Most Wanted list, meaning that there was a $2,500 reward for information that would lead to his arrest. Thanks to a donation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the reward was increased to $7,500. Afterward, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Dickson County Government, the Tennessee Fraternal Order of Police, and Governor Bill Haslam had also added to the reward for information, leading to a reward of $46,000.
TBI Special Agents have also arrested and charged a Dickson woman in connection to the investigation concerning Baker’s death, although her connection to Wiggins is unclear at this time.
As this story is developing, more information will be updated as made available.