Hardin County sheriff provides details on deputy's fatal shooting of robbery suspect

A lone Hardin County deputy returned fire, killing a man Sunday evening who was wanted for a robbery at a Burger King earlier in the day, Sheriff Johnny Alexander said Monday.
He said Jonathan Schutte, 33, of Ardmore, Alabama, was fatally shot after stopping his SUV in the parking lot of Wesley’s Chapel Church on Tenn. 128 in the Nixon community shortly after 6:45 p.m.
“The officer pulled in and activated his lights, exited his vehicle to do a felony stop and that guy opened the door and opened fire on him. The officer returned fire on him and hit the suspect,” Alexander said.
According to the Hardin County sheriff, local authorities had received a BOLO, or “be on the lookout” report for a maroon 2006 Ford Explorer occupied by Schutte. Police in Ardmore, Tennessee had issued warrants for Schutte’s arrest on charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and theft in connection with the alleged incident at Burger King around 2:30 p.m., he said.
The local deputy was driving south on Tenn. 128 following a report the suspect vehicle had been seen in Nixon around Wesley Lane. He spotted it traveling the opposite direction on the highway.
“He turned around to get the tag number and was going to wait for other deputies to arrive because (Schutte) was armed as far as the BOLO was concerned,” Alexander said.
But Schutte stopped in the church parking lot before any other officers could get there and shots were exchanged, he said.
In a late night statement Sunday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is routinely looking into the incident at the request of District Attorney General Neil Thompson, indicated more than one Hardin County deputy sheriff was present at the time of the shooting. Contacted for clarification by The Courier, the TBI said Monday afternoon that “a deputy was fired upon and returned fire before other responding deputies arriving on the scene.”
The TBI and Sheriff Alexander said no law enforcement personnel were injured.
Alexander declined to identify the deputy involved, but said, “I think he did an outstanding job.”
Ardmore, Tennessee and Ardmore, Alabama are sister cities on the state line.