Nashville police release video, body camera footage after officers fatally shoot man

Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
·4 min read
1

Nashville police released a video with excerpts of body camera footage late Thursday night after officers fatally shot a man on Interstate 65 earlier that day.

The man identified as Landon Eastep, 37, had been sitting on a guardrail on the shoulder of I-65 at mile marker 76 when a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper went to check on him.

At some point, Eastep produced a box cutter, according to preliminary information released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The trooper attempted to negotiate with Eastep, and soon, the TBI said, an off-duty Mount Juliet Police Department officer also stopped, along with back-up officers from MNPD and additional THP troopers.

"The negotiations with Eastep, aimed at convincing him to surrender, continued for approximately 30 minutes," the TBI reported. "At one point, the man appears to adjust his stance and reach for what was later identified as a metal cylindrical object at his waist."

The roughly 8-minute video included commentary by MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron. Aaron said in the video that the "metal, cylindrical item" that Eastep pulled from his pocket was not a firearm.

I-65 Nashville shooting: What to know after man fatally shot by multiple police agencies

"Nine law enforcement personnel fired their weapons after Eastep took a stance as if he had a firearm," Aaron said in the video.

Six MNPD officers, two THP troopers and an off-duty Mt. Juliet officer all fired their weapons, Aaron said.

He listed the names of six MNPD officers involved as:

  • Officer James Kidd (MNPD)

  • Officer Justin Pinkelton (MNPD)

  • Officer Sean Williams (MNPD)

  • Officer Edin Plancic (MNPD)

  • Sgt. Steven Carrick (MNPD)

  • Officer Brian Murphy (MNPD)

All six are on routine administrative assignment as a result of the shooting, Aaron said.

The Mt. Juliet officer has been identified as Fabjan Llukaj.

The THP identified two its troopers involved as Trooper Reggie Edge and Sgt. Charles Achinger. They are both on routine administrative leave with pay.

The TBI and the Nashville District Attorney's office will continue to investigate and analyze the shooting in the days to come, Aaron said. MNPD will also conduct an administrative review of the shooting.

Body camera footage shows standoff, negotiations, shooting

In the video, Aaron briefly recapped the timeline of the standoff and shooting, which began around 2 p.m. Thursday when a THP trooper stopped after he saw Eastep sitting on a guardrail on the side of the interstate.

Eastep pulled out a box cutter as the trooper tried to negotiate with him, Aaron said. An off-duty Mt. Juliet Police Department officer also stopped to help.

"The Mt. Juliet officer attempted to de-escalate the situation and dialogue with Eastep for some 30 minutes as he held the box cutter in his left hand and kept his right hand in his pocket," Aaron said in the video.

Interstate 65 was shut down in both directions during a standoff that led to police fatally shooting a man Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Interstate 65 was shut down in both directions during a standoff that led to police fatally shooting a man Thursday afternoon, officials said.

The video then showed a clip from MNPD Officer James Kidd's bodycam footage, which captured the voice of the Mt. Juliet officer as he urged Eastep to surrender and told him they would get him help.

At least six other officers were visible in the video with weapons drawn, including Kidd. Several police vehicles with lights flashing were also visible nearby, and a helicopter can be seen circling overhead.

Eastep kept his hand in his right pocket throughout the negotiation and held what appeared to be a small black object in his left hand.

"Put your hand up, drop the knife and let's figure this out," the Mt. Juliet officer said during the standoff.

At one point, it appeared some of the officers moved away from Eastep. The Mt. Juliet officer also told Eastep that there were children in a car nearby as he urged him to surrender.

Mt. Juliet Police Capt. Tyler Chandler told reporters at the scene the Mt. Juliet officer's family was in a car on the interstate and witnessed the shooting.

"Please," the Mt. Juliet officer said in the video. "They're going to have to live with this, too, not just me and you."

Around the 6:15 mark of the video, Eastep appeared to take his right hand out of his pocket, grip something and raise his arms. The video captured multiple gunshots as Eastep fell to the ground. His arms appeared to be moving as the shots continued and the video cut to another officer's body camera footage.

Footage from MNPD Officer Sean Williams' camera was shown next.

It also showed Eastep reach into his pocket and raise his arms as he gripped something in hands before officers opened fire.

An officer was heard yelling "Cease fire!" in Williams' video as Eastep was on the ground.

The video then cut to the same footage from Williams' bodycam at reduced speed. The object Eastep pulled from his pocket appeared to have a metallic glint.

The video then cut back to Aaron, the MNPD spokesperson.

"The metal, cylindrical item Eastep pulled from his pocket was not a firearm," Aaron said in the video.

Watch the body camera footage released by Nashville police

Warning: This video may be disturbing for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised, especially for children and sensitive viewers.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville police release bodycam video in fatal I-65 shooting