An inmate in Tennessee tried to escape police custody Friday but was quickly apprehended after an officer shot and wounded the suspect, authorities said.
A Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer discharged his service weapon at a Pikeville hospital in Bledsoe County, striking a Sequatchie County Jail inmate who attempted to escape custody, according to Officer Susan Niland. of public information from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Neither the officer nor the inmate were identified.
The inmate was initially transported to the hospital for medical reasons and was transported to a Chattanooga hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound, Niland said.
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The Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department said a corrections officer fired a weapon and struck an inmate who was trying to escape custody on February 10, 2023. (Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department)
“Early reports from the scene indicate that after being treated, the inmate attempted to flee the hospital. The Correctional Officer discharged an ineffective taser and then discharged a service weapon, striking the inmate. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident,” a TBI statement said.
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The statement continued: “TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading up to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, the findings of the investigation will be shared with District Attorney General for further review and consideration.”
The incident was also confirmed by Sequatchie County Sheriff Bill Phillips.
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“During the evening hours of February 10, 2023, a Sequatchie County Corrections Officer was involved in a shooting after chasing a runaway from the Bledsoe County Erlanger campus,” Phillips said.
The TBI said it “acts solely as a fact finder” in reporting details of the incident and “does not determine whether an officer’s actions were justified in these types of matters.”
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District Attorney Courtney Lynch and TBI Special Agents continue to investigate the incident.
