Tennessee Bureau of Investigating investigating officer-involved shooting in Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. — At the request of Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents are investigating the circumstances surrounding an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Saturday morning in Bristol. According to a news release of Josh DeVine of TBI, preliminary information indicates the following: At approximately 1 a.m., officers with the Bristol Tennessee Police Department responded to an alarm at the post office on 6th Street. Officers located a subject on foot nearby and attempted to speak with him. The man was holding an aluminum bat and a tire iron and refused the officers' commands to drop both items. The situation escalated, resulting in officers deploying their TASERs. The man then charged at the officers, swinging the bat, after which officers fired their service weapons, striking the man, and deployed their TASERs a second time. The man was hospitalized. No officers were hurt in the incident. TBI agents are working 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 further 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 it sees fit. Any updates on this investigation will be posted online at TBINewsroom. Also, go to the Kingsport Times News website or print editions to see updates.