At the request of 2nd District Attorney General Barry Staubus, TBI Special Agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that happened early Monday morning in Kingsport.

Preliminary information indicates that a deputy with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office spotted a stolen truck that was the subject of a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) traveling along Highway 11W in the Allandale section of the county. A traffic stop was initiated, but the driver failed to stop, and a pursuit ensued. An officer with the Mount Carmel Police Department responded to assist. The pursuit continued into the Kingsport City limits for several miles, eventually leading officers to the 200 block of Cherokee Village Drive. At the intersection of Cherokee Village Drive and Sequoyah Drive, the occupants abandoned the truck and got into a car that was waiting nearby. As the car attempted to leave the location, the driver reportedly drove toward the Hawkins County Deputy, hitting him.  Both the Hawkins County deputy and Mount Carmel officer fired shots, striking two of the occupants. The car, which had also previously been reported stolen, continued to travel along Cherokee Village Drive until it reached the 400 block, which leads to a dead-end. At that point, the occupants ran from the vehicle. The two occupants that were injured were located a short distance away. They were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The officer who was struck by the car sustained injuries and was also transported to a local hospital for treatment. He has since been released. At least two other individuals were in the vehicle at the time the incident occurred.

At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing, as TBI Agents continue to gather any and all relevant evidence, interviews, and information. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his further review and consideration.

The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and, instead, refer questions of that nature to their respective departments to answer as they see fit.

As a reminder, 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 solely with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.

Any updates on this investigation will be posted online at TBINewsroom.com.