DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. — A Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Deputy is recovering after claiming three men attacked him for having a law enforcement sticker on his car.

John Checchia was airlifted to Regional One Medical Center after being found bloody and beaten on the hood of his personal truck in a church parking lot in DeSoto County Sunday morning.

Checchia had head and stomach injuries, but he has since been released from the hospital.

Checchia was already suspended without pay for a DUI in April.

Now, officials were looking into what exactly happened this weekend.

Thomas Cole lived right across the street from the Hernando church where  Checchia was found beaten.

“They taped off a lot of the area to keep people out,” he said.

Just last month, he was charged with a DUI after being found passed out behind the wheel with the car in drive and his foot on the brake near Germantown Parkway.

WREG stopped by two different addresses listed for him.

One in Nesbit, just three miles away from where he was found Sunday morning, and another in Cordova.

No one answered at either address.

If Checchia was attacked for being a deputy, as he claimed, neighbors hope the men responsible are caught.

“Whoever did the crime, should do the time,” said on neighbor we spoke to.

“It concerns me that that happened right across the street from me,” Cole added.

WREG has also requested to view Checchia’s personnel file.

We will keep you posted when that becomes available.