Police shootings in Northeast Tennessee raise questions about use of force

Many considerations come into play when it comes to examining the topic of police shootings, whether regionally, statewide or in the broader context of U.S. politics and history, said Dr. B Henderson, an associate professor of criminal justice at Tusculum University.One initial consideration is when officers can decide to escalate force."Perhaps the most important [consideration] is whether the use of force was excessive and/or unreasonable," Henderson said. "'Non-lethal' and 'less lethal' methods are always encouraged prior to utilizing lethal force, so long as it is not absolutely necessary to do so. In some cases, however, police officers feel justified in their choice to exercise lethal force."Over the past 12 months, there have been three police shootings in Washington County and four in Sullivan County, according to recent data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.While each case has its own unique circumstances, the latest data aligns with trends previously reported by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation from 2019-22 that suggest law enforcement in Northeast Tennessee have deployed potentially deadly force at a disproportionate rate compared to elsewhere in the state.The data noted law enforcement agencies in the region had been involved in about 17% of police shootings despite Northeast Tennessee only accounting for a little over 7% of the state's population then. Similar trends have persisted since.Henderson said officers are almost always expected to follow a "continuum of force" and to use "reasonable force," which isn't always straightforward or easy to determine depending on the specific case.They said two cases come to mind when it comes to discussions about police force in Tennessee: Graham v. Connor, which aimed to further establish standards of reasonable force, and Tennessee v. Garner, which ruled deadly force can be used against fleeing suspects when officers have probable cause to determine a realistic threat of death or serious injury."There simply is not enough detail given in the Fourth Amendment, and we are therefore forced to rely upon various judicial decisions to determine additional use of force standards," Henderson said. "In short, if the crime is severe enough, the suspect poses an immediate threat to others, and they are actively resisting or evading arrest, the law tends to side with the police officer."One case in June of 2024 involving the Johnson City Police Department could be considered such a scenario, based on information provided by law enforcement and other witnesses. Official reports from the JCPD and TBI said officers shot Brad Ward after Ward fired a shotgun at them. The shooting happened when Johnson City Police went to a domestic disturbance on West Chestnut Street, according to reports from law enforcement.Ward was taken to a hospital and treated. He was charged with domestic assault, aggravated child abuse and neglect, child endangerment, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a first responder and attempted first-degree murder.More recently in March, Johnson City police did not fire their weapons at all after Timothy Blair shot and injured an officer. While police said the officer's injuries were not life threatening, Blair was charged with attempted murder.Henderson said many police departments have enacted significant changes to deadly force policies over the decades, particularly after the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the 2020 murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin that sparked widespread protests and intensified calls for national reform.The two killings also led activists to call for more police accountability reforms within law enforcement agencies including the Johnson City Police Department, which city officials say has since increased training with a focus on trauma-informed police practices, among other measures. Efforts to build community trust and improve police training for JCPD officers have also been catalyzed by the department's alleged mishandling of sexual assault cases.Meanwhile, more police departments have adopted the use of body cams to discourage excessive use of force, as video evidence becomes increasingly paramount in determining case outcomes."Unfortunately, body-worn cameras on police officers are not mandatory nationwide," Henderson said.Henderson said racial disparities still remain a major factor when examining police use of deadly force in the state and U.S. more broadly.Tennessee also passed a law last year that blocks local police reforms aimed at reducing police brutality and encouraging de-escalation and general police restraint. The law nullified a 2023 ordinance in Memph is that prohibited police traffic stops for minor infractions, which came in response to the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols."Although the Civil Rights Movement [and later Black Lives Matter movement] brought attention to these and other issues with policing, there continues to be a disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic communities at each stage of the criminal justice process, from first contact with the police through to incarceration," Henderson said.