A man police say fired a shot at a Lowe’s customer in Elizabethton, Tennessee, over a cart of stolen goods was killed by Carter County deputies hours later, after a chase in which he reportedly shot at them.
Story Highlights
- On Thursday, October 22, at about 8:57 p.m., police say a man fired a shot toward the ground near a man who had grabbed back a cart of unpaid goods outside the Lowe’s on Patriot Drive.
- Police sent out a “be on the lookout” alert for the vehicle. Deputies found it, detained three people, and chased a fourth man who sped off.
- Early on Friday, October 23, the driver reportedly fired at deputies during the chase. He crashed on Highway 19E, deputies fired, and he died at the scene.
- Police say the driver was the man who fired the shot at the Lowe’s. No deputies were hurt.
- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the deputies’ shooting.
- Lowe’s said the goods in the cart were worth $746.09. Police say one of the men pointed a gun at the man who took the cart back and threatened to shoot.
It Started With A Stolen Cart
Elizabethton police were called to the Lowe’s at 925 Patriot Drive at about 8:57 p.m. Thursday. A man told officers he saw two men push a shopping cart out of the store without paying. When a store worker asked to see a receipt, the two men ran. The man went after them and grabbed the cart back. Lowe’s said the goods in the cart were worth $746.09.
Police say one of the men then pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot. As the man walked back toward the store, the suspect fired toward the ground. Bits of pavement struck the man’s leg. A witness told officers they saw one of the men point a handgun at the victim and fire. Officers found a shell casing and a bullet mark in the pavement.
The BOLO And The Chase On 19E
Police sent out a BOLO, short for “be on the lookout.” It is an alert that tells officers across the area to watch for a certain vehicle. At about 12:30 a.m. Friday, Carter County deputies went to a home in the 200 block of Keenburg Road in Elizabethton, where they had learned the vehicle might be. Three people were detained. A fourth man stayed in the vehicle and sped away, and deputies chased him.
During the chase, the driver reportedly fired shots at deputies, according to state investigators. Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley said deputies used a PIT maneuver on the vehicle on Highway 19E. A PIT maneuver is a move in which a patrol car bumps the back corner of a fleeing car to spin it to a stop. The chase ended when the driver crashed in the 6000 block of Highway 19E.
Deputies Fired, And The Man Died
State investigators said that after the crash the situation escalated, and deputies fired shots, striking the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff Fraley said the man fired shots, which led to an exchange of gunfire. Elizabethton police say the man killed was the same man who fired the shot at the Lowe’s. Officials have not released his name.
All lanes of Highway 19E were closed near Tiger Creek Road for hours Friday morning while agents worked the scene. The road reopened at about 7:15 a.m.
Who Reviews The Shooting
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the deputies’ shooting at the request of 1st Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney, the elected prosecutor for the area. The bureau is the state’s independent fact-finding agency and handles most police use-of-force cases in Tennessee. Agents are gathering evidence and doing interviews. They will give their findings to Finney, who decides whether the deputies’ actions were justified. The bureau does not name officers involved in shootings.
Under a 1985 Supreme Court ruling, officers may use deadly force on a fleeing suspect only when they have good reason to believe he poses a serious threat of death or injury to them or others. A suspect shooting at officers during a chase is the kind of threat that standard describes. Finney will weigh the full record against it.
What Comes Next
When a man fires at deputies on a public highway, everyone on that road is in danger. Deputies have a duty to stop that threat. The state review will lay out the full timeline, the evidence and any video, so the public and the deputies get a fair, final account.
Police have not said what charges the three detained men may face. For the man outside the Lowe’s, a fight over a $746 cart of goods ended with a bullet striking the pavement near him. For the man police say fired that shot, it ended on Highway 19E.
Sources:
wcyb.com, tbinewsroom.com, wcyb.com, supertalk929.com, tn.gov
