Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A man suspected of shooting an off-duty police officer in Tennessee was later killed in a shoot-out with officers along an interstate, Nashville police said.
The unidentified man shot Officer Darrell Osment while the officer was walking his dog in plain clothes Thursday night, according to Metro Nashville Police. Osment, who has worked for the department for 13 years, was in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The man fled from the initial shooting, police said, leading to a pursuit that ended on I-440, news outlets reported. Officers said they heard gunfire and three returned fire, killing the man.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation. The officers who returned fire have been placed on routine administrative assignment.
Osment said he was shot in the back right shoulder “without warning or provocation” after passing the man on the street and exchanging hellos, according to police. After Osment fell, the man fired toward him again and the shot hit the ground, police said. Osment then ran.
The gunman fled in a vehicle parked at a nearby church, police said, prompting a police chase.
When an officer tried to spike the suspect’s tires, the man fired shots, police said.
The chase ended after a spike strip stopped the vehicle on I-440 in the eastbound lanes. Officers said the man opened the driver’s door and they heard shots. The officers returned fire and killed the man.
Police said the man used a handgun that was recovered near his car after the shooting.