Trending Topics

BWC: Fleeing domestic violence suspect fires at Tenn. officer before OIS

During a foot pursuit, the suspect turned and fired a shot at a Metro Nashville Police Department officer; the officer returned fire, striking him

By Joanna Putman
Police1

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Metro Nashville Police have released body camera footage of a man who shot at an officer before being shot and wounded, The Tennessean reported.

The incident began when officers were called to an apartment complex just before 1 a.m. following a report of an attempted break-in, according to the report.

According to police, the suspect was armed and had been trying to force entry into his estranged girlfriend’s home. Officer Eric Zeigler, a three-year veteran of the Nashville Police Department, encountered the suspect walking along the roadway near the scene, video shows.

| Read 10 myths about domestic violence

When Zeigler ordered the suspect to stop, the man fled. Zeigler pursued him on foot, repeatedly ordering him to halt. During the chase, the suspect turned and fired a shot at the officer. Zeigler took cover behind a tree and returned fire, hitting the suspect in the buttocks and leg.

The suspect was transported to a hospital for treatment, according to the report. Zeigler was not injured during the encounter.

Authorities confirmed the suspect had been wanted on domestic assault and false imprisonment charges stemming from a prior incident. The suspect allegedly attacked and confined his estranged girlfriend in a bedroom on Nov. 14 before fleeing, according to the report. The victim, who is the mother of the suspect’s child, had visible injuries from the earlier assault. While she had obtained an order of protection, it had not been served at the time of the shooting.

The suspect, who was on probation for a 2022 felony aggravated burglary conviction, had been arrested earlier in November for a probation violation but was released shortly before the incident with the victim.

Trending
NYPD
An NYPD trial judge ruled the officer should be fired in the 2019 shooting of a man fleeing a traffic stop; Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the officer feared for his colleague’s life
The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak on July 4, washing away homes and vehicles
NYPD
The city will now hold monthly police exams, waive application fees for a limited time and allow candidates as young as 20.5 to apply
The Alvarado Police officer was shot in the neck; multiple people, some of whom were allegedly wearing body armor, fired shots when the officers arrived on the scene