The Knox County Sheriff’s Department is mourning the loss of one of their own.
29 year-old Deputy Tucker Blakely died at the UT Medical Center last night after being shot in the line of duty responding to a domestic call on Denver Lane in West Knoxville Sunday night.
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler says Officer Blakely is a hero who lived as a hero and died as a hero. He leaves behind a wife and a 5-year-old son. Blakely was moving on in his career, he was set to become a K-9 officer in a matter of days. Sheriff Spangler asking everyone to please “Keep Tucker’s family in your thoughts,”.
He was also an Army veteran and a graduate of Powell High School.
Other agencies and Knox County-area leaders offering support to KCSO and Deputy Blakely, with Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacob releasing a statement on Twitter, along with Knoxville Police Department Chief Paul Noel and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is the agency in charge of this case and this is their statement:
The deceased individual at the scene has been identified as Matthew Logan Rose (DOB: 10/17/92).
At the request of 6th Judicial District Attorney General Charme Allen, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Sunday night involving deputies with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 11:15 p.m. Sunday, Knox County dispatch received a call regarding a domestic situation at a home in the 3200 block of Denver Lane in Knoxville. Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded and encountered an armed individual at the residence. For reasons still under investigation, the situation escalated and shots were fired by both the individual and at least one of the deputies. The male subject was struck and pronounced deceased at the scene. One of the officers was also struck by gunfire and was transported to an area hospital with very serious injuries.
TBI agents continue to work 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 her 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.
