Prosecutors say that an Ohio woman accused in the fatal shooting of a Weakley County sheriff’s deputy could face the death penalty, if convicted.
Khristi Dawn Cunningham is charged in the deadly January shooting of Derrick Bonham, a deputy with nearly two years of service with the Weakley County Sheriff's Office.
A post from the Weakley County’s sheriff office said Bonham was attempting to assist officers from the Martin Police Department in responding to a disturbance call, following a report of possible shots fired at the Days Inn near the University of Tennessee at Martin campus.
At a January press conference, Weakley County Sheriff Terry McDade said that Bonham approached a car at a gas station across the street from the hotel that fit the description of the one described in the call for assistance. When the driver of the car – who the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation later identified as Cunningham – opened her door, McDade said she shot Bonham. The sheriff also said Cunninham shot Bonham again after he fell to the ground.
Bonham was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where he later died.
According to a 27th Judicial District Attorney General's Office social media post, Cunningham was indicted by a Weakly County Grand Jury Tuesday on four separate felony counts: first-degree murder; reckless endangerment – deadly weapon involved; aggravated assault; and false reports.
The post also announced that prosecutors had filed a Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty in the case.
Cunningham’s arraignment hearing is expected to be held Sept. 8 in Weakley County Circuit Court.
