Dyer Co. authorities make multiple arrests following fights at county fair

DYERSBURG, Tenn. (WBBJ) -Altercations at the Dyer County Fair led to multiple arrests and the recovery of a pistol with a switch device.

According to the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office, fights occurred both Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept.12 at the Dyer County Fair.

Officers arrested multiple individuals and indicated that half of those individuals were juveniles, and the remaining individuals ranged in ages from 18 to 30-years-old.

While the department says the response was quick, one innocent bystander was injured during the arrest of an armed suspect.

Also arrested was a suspect in possession of narcotics as well as an individual with an active robbery warrant.

An 18-year-old suspect was arrested in possession of a 9mm pistol with a switch device (converts a semi-automatic pistol into a machine gun) and a large capacity magazine, which is a felony under Tennessee and Federal law.

Officers also recovered additional weapons from other individuals involved.

Sheriff Montgomery of Dyer County said, “Great work by DCSO and DPD keeping our citizens safe.”

Montgomery continued by saying, “If you don’t know how to act, we don’t want you at the Dyer County Fair or any other public place where our citizens will be put in danger. This has been a wonderful week. Thousands of families and children have been coming out to the fairgrounds for years and were met by neighbors, volunteers, and first responders who worked hard to make it safe. The overwhelming majority of the people in this community are good, kind, and respectful. A very small handful chose otherwise, and they will be held accountable. Bringing a machine gun into a crowd of families is senseless, reckless, and highly illegal.”

Charges are pending, and authorities will not be releasing any information on those juveniles taken into custody. Those involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information or related video to these incidents are encouraged to contact the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office at (731) 285-2802.