A Tennessee police officer has been placed on paid leave after shooting a man.
The Murfreesboro Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a domestic violence situation at the Regal Inn on South Church Street around 7 p.m. on Sunday.
“On arrival, officers came in contact with the suspect who was threatening his juvenile children with a firearm. The suspect attempted to evade officers and threatened them with his motor vehicle. Several shots were fired at the suspect,” the department said.
“The suspect was able to evade the officers and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit ended on National Drive when the suspect exited his vehicle and surrendered without incident. It was at this time the suspect indicated he had been shot. The suspect was taken to Vanderbilt via Life Flight for treatment.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told WGNS that the suspect at one point tried to strike the officers with his vehicle, which led to the shooting.
Michael Kilpatrick, 27, was later identified by police as the suspect. He has an extensive arrest record, including arrests for driving on a revoked license, multiple counts of assault, speeding, and possession of a controlled substance, according to DNJ.
James O'Rourke was named as the officer who shot Kilpatrick. He’s been placed on routine administrative leave.
Amy Norville, a spokeswoman for the department, said that officer-involved shootings are rare. The last officer-related shooting appears to be back in August 2010, when an officer shot a man who was pointing a gun at him.
