The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Sunday announced that it is investigating an officer-involved shooting of a wanted Alabama fugitive in Hardin County.
“Preliminary information indicates that deputies encountered an Alabama robbery suspect, later identified as Jonathan Schutte, in a parking lot … in Savannah,” TBI said in a release. “When [Hardin County] deputies approached the vehicle, Schutte reportedly exited his vehicle and fired his weapon at deputies, resulting in the deputies returning fire, hitting and killing 33-year-old Schutte. No law enforcement officers were hurt in the incident.”
TBI said Schutte was from Ardmore, Alabama.
TBI acts only as fact-finders for district attorney’s general in officer-involved shootings. In each instance of an officer-involved shooting, the district attorney general where the shooting occurred. In this case, TBI will report its findings to 24th Judicial District Attorney General Neil Thompson, who ultimately will decide whether the shooting was justified.
This investigation is similar to one opened last Friday by TBI.
According to the law enforcement agency, 49-year-old David Resmondo fired shots outside the Monroe County Justice Center before entering the building. Resmondo was shot by a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy, and died of his injuries.
Nobody else was injured in that incident, either.
So far this year, TBI reports that there have been 32 officer-involved shootings. Last year, there were 50.
Deputy Greg McCowan of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in February in one of the higher profile cases this year. Another deputy, Shelby Eggers, was injured.
Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr. is awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges in that case.
“I made a tally as I was watching this video, and I counted 37 times they either asked lawfully or told lawfully for the defendant to exit the vehicle,” Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond reportedly said upon levying the charges. “It was his decision to refuse those requests 37 times that led to us being here today, your honor, and you do not point a gun at two individuals and pull the trigger six times unless you intend to kill them. You do not point a gun at a man lying helpless on the ground and pull the trigger unless you intend to kill him.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Crime Scene” by Derek Bridges CC2.0.
