Sullivan County officers try to root out Bristol standoff suspect with tear gas

UPDATE, 4:20 p.m.

A report issued Monday afternoon by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said a suspect who reportedly pointed a gun at two victims earlier was not inside a home they believed he was hiding in.

Deputies and SWAT team officers had a home on Henson Road surrounded with rifles drawn during the day and deployed tear gas at one point with no response.

Johnny Ray Kestner, 43, of Bristol, Tennessee, is the suspect currently charged with two counts of aggravated assault following the earlier incident that occurred on Bristol Caverns Highway.

Anyone with details on Kestner’s whereabouts can call 911 or (423) 279-7330.

(IMAGE: Used with permission by SCSO TN)
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BRISTOL, TN– A Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office official could be heard shouting directions to a man who barricaded himself in a home off Henson Road before tear gas was deployed.

Minutes passed and there was no movement or response from the individual who has not been identified. The standoff began late Monday morning, and the chemical was used just before 2 p.m.

What sounded like flash bangs were also set off by officers shortly after the tear gas, but still no movement from the suspect.

More than a dozen residents from the community stood behind police tape as police blocked the road to restrict traffic while snipers with rifles drawn stood nearby.

Eyewitnesses said a woman came out of the home earlier in the afternoon and was taken into custody. There was no word on her identity.

More details to follow…..

(IMAGE: J. Olsen / Bristol Broadcasting Co)