Girl rescued, suspected kidnapper killed in Tennessee shootout
- TBI issued Endangered Child Alert for missing 11-year-old girl Thursday
- The child and a suspect found Friday near Tennessee-Georgia line
- The suspect is dead after a shooting involving detectives
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(NewsNation) — A 38-year-old man is dead, and the 11-year-old girl he was suspected of abducting is safe, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The girl had been missing since Tuesday night, and a statewide Endangered Child Alert was issued.
Investigators say 38-year-old Edward Ahrens had the girl in a vehicle that was spotted heading toward the Tennessee-Georgia state line early Friday morning. Deputies from multiple counties chased the car as it exited Interstate 75. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says Ahrens did not surrender and tried to hit officers with his car.
At least four officers fired shots into the car. Ahrens was later pronounced dead at an area hospital. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office initially reported deputies had been hit by the car, but the TBI says no deputies were injured in the incident.
Per NewsNation local affiliate WATE, Ahrens was a registered sex offender in both Tennessee and Georgia.
WATE reports KCSO juvenile detectives and members of the Technology Crimes Division and Narcotics Unit, along with Catoosa County, Georgia, and other Tennessee agencies in Hamilton County were involved in finding the girl.
