Hamilton County deputies shot and killed a man early Tuesday in a Publix parking lot in the Hamilton Place area.
The man had outstanding warrants, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies pulled the man over on his motorcycle for a traffic stop, and they identified him as having outstanding warrants, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man reportedly refused deputies’ commands while they tried to take him into custody, the office said. He then “displayed a firearm,” and deputies shot at him.
“For reasons that remain under investigation, deputies fired their service weapons, striking the man,” a statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
The bureau is investigating the shooting at the request of Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp, according to the release.
The man’s identity is being withheld as relatives are notified, the TBI said in a statement Tuesday.
“I am thankful my deputies were not seriously injured as this incident highlights the immense dangers our personnel face on a daily basis,” Sheriff Austin Garrett said in a release. “Any loss of life is tragic. However, when you refuse commands from my deputies and display a firearm, the consequences of your actions are not going to end well.”
The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave according to sheriff’s office policy, the release said. They have not been identified.
The man is the third to be killed by law enforcement in the area this month.
On Christmas Eve, Chattanooga officers shot and killed Roberto Carlos Rodriguez Zayas, 38, who was reportedly wielding a knife and refused to drop it.
Earlier in December, deputies in Catoosa County shot and killed Dameion Coonrod, 32, after he reportedly hit a deputy while trying to get away from a Ringgold home by car.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.