WATE 6 On Your Side

Knoxville shooting puts focus on dangers officers face

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A day after an officer-involved shooting in South Knoxville the president of the Knoxville chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police Keith Lyon gave his perspective to WATE 6 On Your Side.

Lyon wasn’t on Sevier Avenue in South Knoxville when officers say 43-year-old Bryan Lee pointed a gun at them, but he knows what it is like to respond and the training that goes in to preparing for situations like it. Lee was shot by officers and later died, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

“The goal is to do this safely. We don’t want anybody to be hurt, even the suspects,” Lyon said.

Knoxville Police also identified the officers who were involved on Wednesday. They say their names are Lt. Shane Watson, Officer James Hunley, Officer Carl Kennedy, and Sgt. Chris Hutton.

Lyon says responding officers executing search warrants train monthly. They also try to know as much about the situation they are entering into beforehand.

“They want to know everything about the house. How many rooms, how big the rooms are, what’s in the rooms,” Lyon said.

Despite the preparation, it’s a dangerous duty, because there’s one thing officers can’t predict.

“You can plan for just about everything, but you cannot plan for the suspect’s decisions,” Lyon said. “You cannot, going in, know if he’s made the decision: I’m not going to let the police officers take me, or I’m going to shoot at the police officer. You don’t know that until you get there.

“We want the suspect to comply, surrender, be taken into custody safely. That way these officers can move on to what’s next. Nobody goes to look for an exchange of gunfire. That just does not exist.”

WATE also requested a copy of Lee’s criminal history records from the TBI. His most recent arrest as in April of this year for simple possession or casual exchange. Other charges include theft, aggravated burglary, aggravated arson and drug charges.