SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Updated Story (8/15/19): A 42-year-old Knoxville man who died during an officer-involved shooting with Knox County Sheriff's deputies in Sevier County last week was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a news release from the office of Fourth Judicial District Attorney General James Dunn said.
Norman Lowell Vandergriff's death was not the result of shots fired by deputies, according to the release. Authorities came to that conclusion after an "exhaustive investigation" by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
KCSO was attempting to serve warrants on Vandergriff in Seymour at the time of the incident.
Original Story (8/8/19): A spokesperson for the Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) said its deputies were involved in an officer-involved shooting in Sevier County on Thursday.
A release from KCSO said that the Warrants Unit was attempting to serve multiple warrants on a person and that person fled from officers.
At the request of Fourth District Attorney General James Dunn, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agents continue to investigate the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting in Sevier County.
Thursday morning, deputies from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office received information that a male subject who had several outstanding arrest warrants out of Knox County was at a location in Sevier County, according to a release from TBI.
TBI later identified the man as Knoxville resident Norman Lowell Vandergriff, 42. Vandergriff has a long criminal history, mostly drug-related. Most recently, he was charged in Knox County in April with theft, burglary, and simple possession.
TBI said upon responding to the area, they encountered the man in a vehicle in the 1900 block of Happy Creek Road in Seymour.
Preliminary information indicates that deputies approached the vehicle and attempted to take the man into custody. The male subject reportedly refused to comply with verbal commands and began resisting, according to officials.
Investigators said at some point during the confrontation, the subject displayed a gun which resulted in deputies firing shots at the vehicle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to TBI. No law enforcement officers were injured in the incident.
The release said an autopsy will be performed at the Knox County Regional Forensic Center as part of the ongoing investigation.
Sevier County District Attorney Jimmy Dunn said it appeared from an initial investigation that the wound may have been self-inflicted, but the autopsy and forensic analysis of weapons will confirm what happened.
This remains an active and ongoing investigation, as TBI Special Agents continue to work to gather any and all relevant interviews and evidence. As in any case, TBI’s investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General throughout the process for his consideration and review.
TBI said it does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to their respective departments. The KCSO has not released that information.