Erin, Tenn.–Erin Police has identified the suspect in the shooting of an Erin Police Officer last night as B.J. Brown.
The suspect is described is a black male and was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue baseball cap.
The subject opened fire on the officer and fled the area on foot. The officer, who has not been identified, was airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he is in stable condition.
At a press conference mid-morning today, Erin Police Chief Mark Moore said, “Make no mistake this was an ambush on an officer, and rest assured we will not rest until he’s captured and justice is served whether by jury, or Jesus and that’s his choice.”
As we reported earlier, initial reports indicate that shortly after 9 p.m., an Erin police officer attempted to make a traffic stop of a driver on Highway 149 near Substation Loop. The driver pulled over in a parking area in the 300-block of Highway 149 and got out of his vehicle.
Preliminary reports from the scene indicate that when the officer instructed the man to return to his vehicle, the individual fired into the officer’s squad car, injuring the officer. The officer returned fire, and the man ran into a wooded area, still carrying a firearm.