Memphis has once again become the center of a critical investigation following a fatal officer-involved shooting during the early hours yesterday morning. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), their agents are actively piecing together the circumstances of the incident that left one man dead and a Bartlett Police Department officer injured.
The confrontation occurred around 6:12 a.m. on the 1700 block of Dellwood Avenue, as officers and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, together with the TBI Drug Investigation Division, were carrying out a search warrant linked to a narcotics case, in this operation the suspect, identified as Augusto Columbie, allegedly brandished and fired a weapon, prompting at least one officer to shoot back, as a result, Columbie was pronounced dead at the scene, while one officer sustained injuries from gunfire and was taken to a hospital, thankfully in non-critical condition.
In their pursuit of the facts, TBI agents are meticulously collecting evidence and conducting interviews to elucidate the chain of events that led to the fatal exchange of gunfire. TBI "does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified,” the agency stated in its press release, clarifying that such assessments are within the purview of the District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, who requested TBI's involvement, and it is he who will weigh the investigative findings for any further action.
The officers involved have not been publicly identified by the TBI, which defers such disclosures to the discretion of the respective departments in these matters.
