At the request of 23rd Judicial District Attorney General Ray Crouch, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred overnight Thursday involving officers with the 23rd Judicial Drug Task Force.
Preliminary information indicates that just before midnight, drug task force agents initiated a traffic stop on an SUV traveling east on Interstate 40 at the Dickson exit. The driver and a passenger stepped out of the vehicle while it was being searched by an officer. Reports from the scene indicate that while the search of the trunk was in progress, the man believed to be the driver grabbed one of the officers and his gun, and a scuffle ensued.
The subject then re-entered the SUV and backed it into the task force agent’s vehicle. Another officer got into the SUV in an effort to subdue the man. Early reports indicate that the driver grabbed the officer’s drawn weapon, resulting in the agent firing. The subject, whose identity is still unconfirmed, died at the scene. The passenger, and the officers, were uninjured.
TBI agents continue to work to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his review and consideration. The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters; that decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.
The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as it sees fit.
Any available updates on this investigation will be posted online at TBINewsroom.com.
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