Suspect shot during struggle with officers after traffic stop

MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. (WSMV) - A suspect’s gun discharged while Mount Juliet Police officers were attempting to arrest him on Friday, police said.

Police said while officers were attempting to gain control of the armed suspect’s hands, the suspect’s handgun fired from his waistband, causing a lower leg injury to the suspect. The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. at the Willow Creek apartment’s parking lot after an officer initiated a stop on a man who ignored a stop sign in a vehicle without a license plate. During the interaction, officers discovered that the suspect was wanted in Humphreys and Shelby counties.

Officers saw and told the suspect they could see a handgun in his waistband and instructed him not to reach for it. As officers attempted to arrest the man, he began to reach towards the handgun, which led to a struggle in the parking lot as officers worked to gain control of the man’s hands. The handgun discharged during the struggle, which led to an injury to the man’s leg. After the shot, officers found the handgun still inside the man’s pants. An officer applied a tourniquet. The suspect was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

An officer involved in the struggle suffered a serious back injury and he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Mount Juliet Police Department’s investigative division is assisting with the investigation. During the incident, officers did not pull their firearms, and all were equipped with body cameras.

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