A Cheatham County Grand Jury has decided not to indict a sheriff’s deputy for fatally shooting a woman in a high-profile case captured in a dashboard video.
The victim, Beth Plant, was the mother of well-known local boxing champion Caleb Plant.
The 12-person grand jury reviewed evidence from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation before concluding that Deputy Paul Ivey did not commit a crime when he fatally shot Beth Plant in March. Plant, 51, had pulled out a knife while being transported to the hospital for mental health concerns.
The local district attorney also decided not to file charges. He said the deputy’s actions were justified because the deputy felt the woman was an immediate threat.
However, some members of the community have voiced concerns about such a drastic step being taken against a woman who was mentally unstable. In a dashboard video
obtained by the Cheatham County Exchange, she appeared to be moving slowly and unsteadily, and calls to police also revealed the woman had been acting erratically for days.
The woman’s son, Caleb Plant, has been critical of law enforcement on Facebook, saying they “failed” his mother when she needed them most.
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