A multi-county police chase of a man alleged to have shot at pursuing officers ended in the suspect’s apparent drowning death at the Saltillo boat ramp Wednesday.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it is looking into the situation.
According to the TBI, preliminary information indicates the incident originated in Chester County near Henderson when a Chester County deputy initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driving recklessly at approximately 9:15 a.m.
The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued.
During the pursuit, the driver briefly stopped and presented a weapon, pointing it at Chester County deputies, and the deputies returned fire. The driver fled the scene and during the course of the pursuit, he fired from the vehicle in the direction of law enforcement, TBI said in a news release.
Multiple agencies joined the pursuit, which entered McNairy County, then Hardin County. At approximately 10:15 a.m., the man drove down the Saltillo boat ramp and into the Tennessee River.
TBI said that when multiple law enforcement officers entered the water to apprehend the subject, he presented the weapon again and did not comply with their commands. He then disappeared under the water. His body was recovered from the river hours later and transported to Nashville for autopsy.
No law enforcement officers were injured.