Sherman Hargrove
Site of meth lab fire in Franklin County, Tenn.A meth lab fire Sunday night in Franklin County, Tenn., injured nine officers who responded to an Estill Springs campground to investigate reported domestic violence and a possible meth operation.
Today, eight of the nine officers are back on duty and the man who allegedly started the fire, 46-year-old Sherman Hargrove, of Decherd Estill Road, is behind bars on $250,000 bond. He faces charges of domestic violence assault, resisting arrest and nine counts of aggravated assault, Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller said.
Sunday evening, Hargrove’s wife, Mindy, 29, left their trailer at All Seasons Campground to tell officers at the Estill Springs Police Department that her husband had been assaulting her throughout the day, had chemicals for methamphetamine production and was operating a meth lab, Fuller said. She also told police Sherman Hargrove meant to harm anyone who came to the trailer.
Franklin County deputies got to the campground at about 8:30 p.m. CST, set up a perimeter around the trailer and tried to make contact with Hargrove. Failing that, officers tried to get through the door, Fuller said.
“This guy had intentions of either forcing them to kill him or killing himself, just going by the nature of what happened,” the sheriff said. “He went so far as to turn the propane on inside the trailer. We’re just fortunate; very, very fortunate.”