The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said a Cleveland, Tennessee, man was threatening to harm himself and was armed with a weapon before being shot dead by Cleveland police.
TBI agents and members of the 10th Judicial District Attorneys Office were called to the scene after the man was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead, Cleveland Police Department Assistant Chief Stacy Smith said Saturday in an emailed statement. No officers were injured in the incident, Smith said.
The shooting happened just before 1:30 p.m. Saturday while Cleveland police were investigating a report that a man allegedly armed with a weapon was threatening to harm himself, TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said in a news release.
Earhart said Cleveland police spotted Matthew James Riggs' vehicle in the 1000 block of Cottage Stone Lane and pulled him over. Cottage Stone Lane is in a northeast Cleveland subdivision off of Blythe Ferry Road.
"At some point during the encounter, officers heard a gunshot, resulting in one officer firing shots. Riggs was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. No officers were injured during the incident."
Earhart said the TBI is working to independently determine what led to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Collected information and evidence will be turned over to the district attorney for review as the investigation continues.
- Compiled by Ben Benton