The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into an officer-involved shooting that unfolded Monday evening in Beechgrove, after Coffee County deputies tried to serve a search warrant and wound up firing at a fleeing vehicle. Investigators say deputies opened fire after a car in the driveway rammed a patrol vehicle and tried to take off. No one was hit by the gunfire, and three of the four people inside the car were taken into custody.
In a post on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation page, officials said 14th Judicial District Attorney General Craig Northcott asked for special agents to investigate what led up to the deputies firing their weapons. According to the agency, those agents will collect evidence, conduct interviews and then turn over their findings to the district attorney, who will decide what happens next.
Local coverage reports that deputies with the Coffee County Sheriff's Department showed up around 5:30 p.m. at a home in the 400 block of Resaca Run to execute the search warrant, according to WSMV. Deputies found a vehicle in the driveway and ordered the people inside to get out. Instead, officials say, the driver hit one patrol car and tried to strike another, which is when deputies fired. WSMV reports no one was struck and that three of the four occupants were detained.
How the TBI review works
The TBI serves as an independent fact-finder in officer-involved shootings. The agency gathers physical evidence, interviews witnesses and compiles a case file, but it does not rule on whether an officer's actions were justified. That call is up to the local district attorney. Guidance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation explains when investigative records can be released to the public and how the completed file is shared with prosecutors.
Who requested the review
The review was requested by 14th Judicial District Attorney General Craig Northcott, the elected prosecutor for Coffee County, according to the district's official site. The district website lists Northcott as the 14th Judicial District attorney and provides contact information for the office.
Officials have not released the names of the people detained or said whether any charges are planned at this stage. The TBI and local authorities say they will continue to update the district attorney and release information as the investigation moves forward.
