TBI investigating Mt. Juliet police shooting

Chandler Inions, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
·2 min read

Aug. 7—A man remains hospitalized after being shot by a Mt. Juliet Police Department officer responding to a call about a knife-wielding man at the Providence-area Kroger on Thursday.

The investigation is in the hands of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is MJPD policy when an officer is involved in a shooting.

The TBI confirmed the man is still recovering in the hospital with "non-life-threatening injuries."

Authorities have declined to release the man's name and the name of the officer.

"At the request of 15th District Attorney General Jason Lawson, TBI special agents continue to investigate the circumstances leading to the shooting of a man Thursday morning during an interaction with an officer from the Mt. Juliet Police Department," the agency said in a news release. "TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews."

According to an MJPD news release, the man was shot after refusing "repeated requests" to stop as he "rapidly advanced toward the officer."

Officers responded at about 7:40 a.m. to the scene at Kroger, 401 S. Mt. Juliet Road, where a man was "reportedly chasing others with a knife," according to the release. "A lone officer was first on-scene and encountered the man," who moved toward the officer "while pulling a knife from his waistband."

The man was then shot by the officer and transported to the hospital, the release said. No one else was injured.

MJPD Chief James Hambrick said in the release, "We are grateful for our officer's rapid response to a dangerous event in a busy shopping area and are thankful that no one was injured by the suspect."

The chief added, "To ensure our officer responded properly, the TBI is conducting an independent investigation. Incidents like this are traumatic for all involved, and the officer has been placed on routine administrative leave. All are in my prayers, including the suspect, for a quick recovery."

According to the TBI release, "Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the district attorney general for his further review and consideration. The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and makes no determination whether the actions of an officer were justified."

Any such decision would be up to Lawson.

Kroger Community Relations Manager Melissa Eads said in an email, "We are cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate the incident that occurred in the parking lot of our Providence location in Mt. Juliet, and are thankful that no associates or customers were injured."