Dyersburg man gets 40 years for assaulting federal officer with deadly weapon

Kerri Bartlett, Jackson Sun
·3 min read
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Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr., 41, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison on the two-year anniversary of the night he violently ambushed law enforcement officers while they were serving a warrant, shooting an officer, who survived, three times.

Claybrook was sentenced for assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and discharging a weapon, U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz announced on Tuesday.

“This defendant pled guilty to committing a violent assault on federal law enforcement officers," Ritz said.

On Nov. 2, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in the Western District of Tennessee was attempting to serve arrest warrants to Claybrook, then a fugitive, who was on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list.

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Claybrook was wanted since August 2020 by the Dyersburg Police Department on charges of attempted second-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault and felon in possession of a handgun.

As the team approached a residence in Jackson, they were ambushed by gunfire from Claybrook, who shot at the team through a small porch window, striking Task Force Officer Joe Frye three times. As team members rendered aid to Frye, other members of the task force moved under fire to evacuate him from the scene. As Frye was transported to the hospital, the remaining task force members held the perimeter while the Jackson Police Department’s SWAT Team arrived and took command of the situation.

After a four-hour standoff, Claybrook surrendered and was transported to the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex.

Frye survived the attack and was awarded last year a Purple Heart presented by Gov. Bill Lee. The award is given to military personnel and law enforcement officers wounded in the line of duty.

Special Agent Joseph Frye is presented a Purple Heart Award by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Corrections Commissioner Tony Parker, U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller and TDOC Director of Investigation and Conduct Donna Turner.
Special Agent Joseph Frye is presented a Purple Heart Award by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Corrections Commissioner Tony Parker, U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller and TDOC Director of Investigation and Conduct Donna Turner.

"That’s an extremely serious crime, deserving of this extremely serious sentence," Ritz said. "The United States will not hesitate to bring significant resources to bear when citizens attack our law enforcement partners.”

On Oct. 28, Chief United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Claybrook to 480 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Law enforcement are public servants that place their lives on the line everyday, enforcing laws throughout our communities. Sadly, the possibility of physical danger and harm are part of what it means to wear a badge," U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller said. "But trying to hurt a Deputy U.S. Marshal has serious consequences. We are glad our Deputy Marshals weren’t seriously injured, and thankful for the steadfast work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to closure.”

The case was investigated by the U. S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jackson-Madison County Narcotics, and the Jackson Police Department SWAT Team.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Bobby Claybrook gets 40 years in prison for assaulting federal officer