U.S. Marshals Capture Fugitive in Florida Wanted for Assaulting and Evading Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers

Counce, TN – On June 12, 2024, U.S. Marshals captured a Kentucky man in Florida who allegedly assaulted Tennessee law enforcement officers and led them on a vehicle pursuit.

On July 5, 2020, Hardin County (TN) Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an assault at Freddy T’s Bar in Counce. It was reported that Derek Guffey, who was identified as the primary aggressor in the assault, pointed a rifle at Deputies, struck a patrol car with his vehicle, and fled the scene before he crashed. He was transported to a local hospital for his injuries.

Hardin County Deputies charged Guffey with Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Assault on Law Enforcement and Evading Arrest. The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash and subsequently charged Guffey with Driving Under the Influence, Possession of a Handgun while Driving Under the Influence, and other traffic offenses.

On June 7, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force in Jackson was asked to find and apprehend Guffey. Marshals determined that Guffy was now living in Panama City, Florida. Task Force investigators contacted the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Office in the Northern District Florida and requested assistance. The USMS in North Florida captured Guffy at a residence in the 4700 block of W. 19th Court in Panama City.

Guffy was transported to the Bay County, Florida Jail and will await the extradition process back to Tennessee.

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, the Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent offenders and sexual predators.