TBI Agents Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting in Covington
At the request of 25th District Attorney General Mark Davidson, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that occurred early this morning in Covington involving the SWAT Team of the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office.
Preliminary reports indicate that at approximately 5:20 p.m., Thursday, the Covington Police Department received a disturbance call at a business in the 800 block of U.S. Highway 51 and responded to find a gunman with three hostages, including a young child, inside. Covington police were able to get the young child and the child’s mother to safety.
The Tipton County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team was called to assist and engaged in negotiations with the armed individual through various methods including the deployment of tear gas.
Reports from the scene indicate that shortly before 5 a.m., the SWAT team entered the building in an effort to rescue the hostage and were met by gunfire. A SWAT member was shot and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Negotiations resumed and at approximately 7 a.m., for reasons still under investigation, a Tipton County SWAT member fired and hit the armed individual. Preliminary reports indicate after additional SWAT members entered the building; the armed individual reached for a firearm resulting in multiple officers firing their weapons. The hostage was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The deceased individual has not been identified at this time.
TBI agents continue to work to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his review and consideration. 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 with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.
The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as its sees fit.
Any available updates on this investigation will be posted online at TBINewsroom.com.
