NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville police say a security officer fatally shot a man Thursday morning at the federal courthouse downtown after the man tried and failed to fire a pistol at the courthouse security checkpoint before pulling out a knife.
A Metro police spokesperson said the man was in his 40s and from out of state. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died. Police identified and searched the man vehicle parked nearby and found nothing threatening inside.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will take over the investigation into the shooting and the actions of the security officer, who works with the United States Marshals Service. A federal prosecutor at the scene said authorities will work with the TBI to determine the facts and evidence and then act appropriately, while noting there is still a lot they are learning.
A second local account said the suspect walked into the main entrance of the downtown federal courthouse at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning and drew a pistol. He allegedly attempted to the fire the gun, but it did not go off. He then pulled out a knife, and a security officer shot him. Details on how many shots were fired have not been released, and the suspect motivations remain unclear.
Despite being from out of state, officials said the man had ties to Nashville but did not elaborate on the connection. Investigators found the suspect vehicle near the courthouse with a North Carolina license plate. A search of the car turned up no dangerous materials.
Authorities have not released the name of the suspect. Both accounts agree the man was in his 40s, from out of state, transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died, and that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the review of the security officer response. Police have not announced further public threats tied to the vehicle search.