The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday it is investigating a shooting incident that involved a Chattanooga police officer Tuesday afternoon.
"Once the investigation has concluded, the HCSO Criminal Investigations Division will turn their findings over to the district attorney," J. Matt Lea, the sheriff's office spokesperson, said in a statement.
According to Sgt. Jeremy Eames, the police department's spokesperson, the investigation is standard procedure for these types of cases.
At 1 p.m. Tuesday, Chattanooga police responded to a call of a man who was in possession of a "large knife" while talking loudly to himself and crying in the Chattanooga National Cemetery, said the police affidavit.
According to the affidavit, cemetery employees and police officers tried to calm and disarm the man, later identified as Jonathan Finley, without success.
The affidavit also notes that Finley was yelling about his legal issues and wanted to find his grandfather when employees offered to help him find his grandfather if he put the knife down. Instead, the man began to jump and scream.
During the police negotiations with Finley, a funeral procession began near the cemetery's office building, and Finley began running toward the main entrance of the building. When officers told Finley to stop, he didn't comply, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit further states that two officers "were backing away from Finley as Finley was quickly advancing towards them" when one of the officers discharged his weapon, striking Finley.
When asked why the department's co-response unit, which includes a social worker, wasn't called to the scene, Eames said, "The situation unfolded too quickly, and a hostage negotiator was called to the scene."
Eames added that the co-response unit was answering another call, and that hostage negotiators also are trained in de-escalating tactics.
"Our co-responders will not be exiting the vehicle in deadly force encounters such as yesterday until such time as the deadly force element is no longer present," Eames further noted.
Finley was taken to Erlanger hospital. He was released Wednesday and transferred to Silverdale Detention Center. He is being charged with aggravated assault against a first responder, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. No bond had been set as of Wednesday afternoon.
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.