KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Family and friends are remembering the life of a man fatally shot by a Knoxville Police Department officer on April 17 in a shooting at a Fountain City gas station.
A vigil for William McBride Jr. started at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, honoring the life of the college graduate and military veteran whose family said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
McBride had struggled with PTSD since returning from war service in Iraq, they said.
According to investigators, KPD officer Seth Beeler fatally shot McBride at an Exxon in Fountain City after officers received a call about a man acting aggressively at the gas station. The officer confronted McBride outside the store, and the TBI said McBride appeared to be armed with at least one knife.
The officer shot and hit McBride at least one time. He was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
McBride's family said they hope more veterans suffering from PTSD will have access to helpful resources.