KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department released body-camera footage from an officer-involved shooting at an apartment that resulted in the death of a 46-year-old man during the recovery of a missing 15-year-old girl.
According to the release, Special Crimes detectives were attempting to locate the girl, who had been reported missing and endangered. An Endangered Child Alert was issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Jan. 27.
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Officers approached the apartment around 10:25 a.m. on Jan. 28, acting on credible information that the girl was inside with a man who was not related to her. Warrants had been issued for Melendez on charges of harboring a runaway, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and theft of a firearm.
Police entered the apartment with the consent of the resident. Inside, officers found the man and the girl in a small bedroom. According to KPD, Melendez retrieved a handgun and pointed it at officers. Two members of the Special Operations Squad fired in response. The man was struck multiple times and died at the scene.
Moments after the shooting, the juvenile allegedly struck an officer in the head with a large knife. That officer, who was wearing a helmet, was not injured. The girl was safely taken into custody, evaluated at UT Medical Center and charged with assault.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, while the KPD Office of Professional Standards is conducting an internal review. Two officers were placed on routine administrative leave.
