DYERSBURG, TN – – The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office announces that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been called to investigate the in-custody death of a Dyersburg man following an apparent medical emergency.
On May 19, 2026, officers with the Dyersburg Police Department responded to North Tennyson in reference to a welfare check. Upon contact with the male subject, officers took him into custody. He was subsequently charged with assault on an officer and resisting arrest. He was then transported to the Dyer County Law Enforcement Center.
Jail staff recognized the need for medical attention and asked DPD to contact EMS to who transported the subject to the local emergency room. Despite lengthy medical interventions, he was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
The subject has been identified as Johnny Etheridge, 41, of Dyersburg, Tennessee.
Dyer County Chief Investigator Terry McCreight, Sheriff Jeff Box, and District Attorney Danny Goodman made the collective decision to request that the TBI assume investigative responsibility for this death. The Dyer County Medical Examiner’s Office has ordered Mr. Etheridge to be transported to the Middle Tennessee Regional Forensic Center, where he will undergo a forensic autopsy.
Due to the nature of the forensic process, a final cause and manner of death is not expected to be determined for several months. No further information will be released at this time pending the outcome of the TBI investigation.
The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office extends its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Etheridge during this difficult time.
The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office is committed to transparency and cooperation with all investigative authorities. Further inquiries should be directed to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.