Dabbs sentenced to 20 years for shooting that left Gleason man paralyzed

Bobby Dabbs, 27, of Trenton, Tenn., was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Lincoln County Circuit Court for the Feb. 7, 2025, shooting that left Allen Erickson of Gleason paralyzed from the chest down.
Dabbs was found guilty of first degree reckless injury, a class D felony, and resisting or obstructing an officer, a class A misdemeanor. Additional charges in the case were dismissed as part of a plea agreement and have no legal effect. However, under the plea agreement, certain dismissed charges were read into the record, meaning the court considered them when determining the sentence for the charges on which Dabbs was convicted.
Judge Galen Bayne-Allison imposed the sentence of 12 years of initial confinement in prison and eight years of extended supervision for first degree recklessly endangering safety. Restitution will be determined later.
Dabbs was originally charged with attempted first degree intentional homicide following the shooting at X to C Golf Course. That charge was dismissed at a preliminary hearing after the defense argued the complaint lacked probable cause for an intentional act.
The bullet entered Erickson’s shoulder and missed his heart, but lodged in his spine, damaging multiple vertebrae. All three men involved in the incident were intoxicated at the time, according to court documents.

Victim impact
Erickson’s victim impact statement, read by the victim witness coordinator, detailed the extent of his injuries.
“For the first four weeks after I was shot, I was in a coma. During that time, I died twice,” the statement read. He spent eight weeks in the hospital followed by a month in inpatient therapy.
The trauma caused his kidneys to shut down, requiring dialysis, and he will require a kidney transplant. “I cannot feel anything from the chest down. I will be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” the statement said.
“I did not get a choice in becoming paralyzed. That choice was taken from me,” Erickson’s statement concluded. “Nothing will undo what he has done, but he should be required to serve his full sentence.”

Sentencing arguments
District Attorney Christopher Ellis requested the maximum sentence, noting that the victim does not remember the incident and that the two co-actors “told at least three different versions of events and clearly lied to law enforcement,” Ellis said.
Defense attorney Brady Loos emphasized Dabbs’ lack of criminal history, cooperation with law enforcement, and self-improvement efforts while in custody, including earning his GED. He also said Dabbs chose to enter into a plea agreement wherein he pled no contest to first degree reckless injury and resisting or obstructing an officer, to save the victim and his family the additional stress of a trial.
Dabbs apologized to the victim and his family during allocution. “I’ve learned my lesson. I promise I will never be in front of you again,” Dabbs said to the judge.

Court’s decision
Judge Bayne-Allison addressed the combination of alcohol and firearms in his remarks.
“Had people not decided to get drunk that night, we wouldn’t be here,” Bayne-Allison said. “If someone had decided they were going to leave their firearm behind, well, we might be here, but it would be for something rather different — maybe drunk driving, maybe disorderly conduct, maybe simple battery.”
The judge noted that it was Dabbs’ gun and that the victim’s injury is “not consistent with a struggle over a handgun in the possession of the victim” which had been one of the versions presented to officials.
Judge Bayne-Allison expressed concern about the lack of a consistent account. “The fact that we still do not have a consistent account of what happened and that Mr. Dabbs is still, to some extent, minimizing or deflecting blame to others is troubling,” he said.
While acknowledging Dabbs’ good character when sober and lack of criminal history, the judge said Dabbs “has not taken full responsibility or assumed the entire burden of culpability for the attempted homicide and the severe, life-altering injury to Mr. Erickson.”

Ongoing needs
Erickson remains paralyzed from the chest down, requires ongoing dialysis, and needs a kidney transplant. He is unable to work and faces significant financial challenges.
Converting his vehicle with hand controls would cost $60,000 or more. An Eagles Club pancake breakfast fundraiser for Erickson will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2026, from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Eagles Club, 108 W. 3rd St. in Merrill. All proceeds will help with medical expenses associated with Erickson’s kidney transplant.