A man who attempted to commit two robberies Wednesday morning in central Tennessee charged at a police officer with two large knives upraised before the officer fatally shot him, a police bodycam video shows.
The officer could be seen alighting from his patrol car and entering an empty-looking restaurant where he encountered the suspect. The suspect, both arms upraised and a knife in each, dashed towards the officer, who was heard yelling, “Hey! Drop it now!” before shooting the suspect, the video shows.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” the officer radioed, and then was heard ordering the fallen suspect, “Drop the knife now!” The officer called for emergency services and then ordered the suspect, “Don’t move.” A groan was then heard, possibly from the suspect.
The 44-year-old suspect, identified as Steven James Murphy of Murfreesboro, died in hospital, Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) spokesperson Larry Flowers said at a press briefing Wednesday. Murphy had allegedly attempted to rob the driver of an armored vehicle at an ATM at a shopping center in Murfreesboro at about 9:13 am. The driver produced a weapon and the suspect then left for a nearby deli and attempted to rob the deli, Flowers further said. The deli workers ran and hid for safety. The officer arrived and repeatedly issued orders to the suspect that went unheeded before the officer shot the suspect, Flowers said.
The MPD identified Officer Adam Claiborne as the officer who shot the suspect and placed him on paid administrative leave while the shooting was being investigated, the MPD said in a statement. (RELATED: Police Hunt Mastermind Who Trains Unemployed Youths To Rob ATMs)
A week before the incident, the MPD arrested and charged two men with robbery at an ATM outside a Murfreesboro bank, according to an MPD statement. One of the two suspects reportedly was arrested at Nashville Airport. The third suspect in the robbery incident succeeded in catching a flight out of Nashville Airport to Texas and an outstanding arrest warrant was issued for his arrest, the statement noted.