CLEVELAND, TN - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is reporting that: At the request of 10th District Attorney General Stephen Crump, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to the death of a man during an interaction with officers from the Cleveland Police Department Saturday afternoon.
Just before 1:30 P.M. on Saturday afternoon October 30, 2021, Cleveland officers received a report that Matthew James Riggs (DOB 8/6/71) was threatening to harm himself and was armed with a weapon. Officers spotted Riggs’ vehicle in the 1000 block of Cottage Stone Lane and initiated a traffic stop. At some point during the encounter, officers heard a gunshot, resulting in one officer firing shots.
Riggs was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
No officers were injured during the incident.
TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his further review and consideration.
The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters. That decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.
The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead, refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as it sees fit.
