CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a Chattanooga police officer shot and wounded an armed man during a response to reports that he was threatening to harm himself Saturday evening.
The incident began shortly before 7 p.m. in the 1400 block of East 17th Street.
According to preliminary information from the TBI, Chattanooga Police Department officers responded after receiving a report of an armed man threatening self-harm.
Officers made contact with the man and attempted to negotiate with him. The TBI said the situation then escalated for reasons that remain under investigation.
One Chattanooga police officer fired his service weapon, striking the man. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment. His identity and condition were not released.
No officers were injured.
TBI special agents are investigating at the request of 11th Judicial District Attorney General Coty Wamp. Agents are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the sequence of events leading to the shooting.
The TBI serves as an independent fact-finder in officer-involved shooting investigations and will submit its findings to the district attorney general for review. The district attorney general, not the TBI, will determine whether the officer’s actions were legally justified.
The officer who fired the shot was not identified.
