Johnson City, TN - At the request of 1st Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that occurred Monday night in Johnson City.
Preliminary information indicates that just before 7:00 p.m., officers with the Johnson City Police Department responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 1700 block of E. Unaka Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers encountered a man armed with an axe. According to reports from the scene, the man came toward at least one officer with the weapon, resulting in the officer firing shots, striking him. The subject was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. No officers were injured during the incident.
The deceased individual has been identified as Kenneth L. Collins (44).
At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing. 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 factfinders in its cases and does not determine whether an officer’s actions were justified in these 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.
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