Johnny Etheridge
Johnny Etheridge, 41, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, died on May 19, 2026, after Dyersburg police took him from a welfare check in the North Tennyson area to the Dyer County Law Enforcement Center. The Dyer County Sheriff's Office said jail staff recognized he needed medical attention and moved him to a hospital, where he died after lengthy medical efforts. His family says he was acting erratically but not violent, that they asked for an ambulance, and that officers came instead. His 15-year-old daughter Kloie and his mother Diane are seeking answers, and a friend, Christopher Criswell, remembers him as a good guy who liked to laugh. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating, and the autopsy results and final cause and manner of death are pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The Dyer County Sheriff's Office says he suffered an apparent medical emergency, with the autopsy and TBI investigation pending; his family says they asked for an ambulance and officers came instead.
Reported by: Dyer County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.