Officer fires shots at speeding motorcyclist south of Jellico

CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- At the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that occurred Sunday afternoon in Campbell County.

Preliminary information indicates that just after 1:00 p.m., an officer with the Williamsburg Police Department in Kentucky attempted to stop a motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed along Interstate 75.  The driver refused to stop and continued on I-75 South into Tennessee. The officer reportedly deactivated emergency equipment but continued to follow the motorcycle until the driver made an abrupt stop near mile marker 158. At that point, the officer pulled in behind the driver. According to reports from the scene, the motorcycle driver backed into the officer’s vehicle and then began driving north in the southbound lane of traffic. For reasons still under investigation, the Williamsburg officer fired shots. The driver continued to drive away from officers, and a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) was issued to law enforcement agencies in Tennessee.

At some point, the motorcycle driver crashed in Anderson County and was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. 

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. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/26/2025-6AM)

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