Suspect Sought in Dukedom Shooting

Joseph Brown is sought by law enforcement for a shooting

DUKEDOM (October 24) — Local and federal law enforcement agencies are searching for a fugitive wanted for attempted first-degree murder, following a shooting sparked by a verbal altercation between two men that escalated to violence.

Area law enforcement officers are looking for Joseph L. Brown, 32, who allegedly shot Tyler Forrester, 24, at the victim’s residence in Dukedom over the weekend.

According to Investigator Captain Randall McGowan of the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2020, a confrontation at Forrester’s residence, located on the Tennessee side of Dukedom, became heated and Brown shot Forrester in the left arm with a sawed-off shotgun.

“The two men had a feud a little earlier in the day, and Brown pulled up in Forrester’s driveway and shot him,” Capt. McGowan said.

“The 911 call reporting the shooting incident was made from a phone in Kentucky, because the house where the shooting took place doesn’t have very good cell phone service, and the caller was unable to contact Weakley County 911. For this reason, the emergency call was received by the dispatcher in Graves County, Kentucky.”

“Graves County Police Department was the original responder, and when they found out it happened in Tennessee, we got the call to go to the scene,” Capt. McGowan said. “By the time we got there, an ambulance from Mayfield, Kentucky, had already transported the patient to Baptist Hospital in Paducah. Forrester was then transported to an unnamed hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.”

Since the victim has allegedly received death threats, the name of the hospital where the patient is receiving treatment is being withheld, for security reasons.

Although the patient suffered extensive injuries, his condition is believed to be non-life threatening.

“The gunshot struck Forrester in the left arm, and he is facing four or five surgeries to repair the damage and hopefully save the arm,” Capt. McGowan said.

Brown fled the scene and has not yet been located. There is an arrest warrant on file with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department for attempted first-degree murder.

“We’re getting the United States Marshal’s Service and Graves County law enforcement officers help us hunt for him,” Capt. McGowan said.

Anyone with information regarding Brown’s location is asked to call their nearest law enforcement agency or Weakley County Sheriff’s Department at 731-364-5454.