Authorities have released new details after deputies shot and killed a South Knox County man accused of firing gunshots toward his neighbors and in the air.
When Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived on the scene Tuesday afternoon they encountered Albert Gagnier, 74, on Hay Meadow Trail. Investigators said a confrontation ensued that led to more gunfire by Gagnier.
Deputies shot Gagnier after he raised his arm with the pistol directed toward deputies and the neighborhood.
"The deputies shot the suspect in defense of their lives and the lives of the citizens in the immediate area," according to a press release from the Knoxville Police Department.
A graphic video taken from inside a neighbor's home shows a man walking down the road, pointing a gun in the air and firing a couple of shots. After several more paces, he stops and aims his firearm down the street. Moments later, more than a dozen shots ring out, and the man collapses to the road.
The Knoxville Police Department is conducting the criminal investigation into the incident; the Knox County Sheriff's Office will conduct an administrative investigation - essentially, an internal review. The agencies have an agreement to share those duties in instances when one department has an officer-involved shooting.
According to family members and neighbors, Gagnier had been "exhibiting unusual behavior in recent weeks." Investigators plan to work with the medical examiner to determine if that may have played a role in the incident.
An autopsy was performed on Wednesday.
Seven Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation, which is standard procedure for a deputy involved in a shooting.
10News asked KPD for dash camera video, body camera video and 911 call recordings from the incident. DeBusk said all of that will not be released, "as it is considered evidence in the on-going investigation."
About 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, several residents in the Hay Meadow Trail area of South Knox County south of Tipton Station Road called 911, according to DeBusk.
A woman in the 2200 block of the street said a neighbor had fired a gun at her multiple times.
Another resident called to report that the same man had fired a weapon in the air. That person said the man, later identified as Gagnier, had a pistol and a shotgun, according to DeBusk.
A third resident also called 911 and said the man had a pistol and a long gun.
Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the scene and confronted the man. He fired at least one shot at them.
Video provided by a resident to 10News showed the man striding toward authorities on a street with a raised pistol. Deputies fired multiple shots, with at least several striking the man, the video shows. He fell to the street.
The man was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
It's not known yet how many times the man was hit or how many shots were fired. DeBusk said the "crime scene was quite extensive" because of the number of shots fired.
The investigation likely will take at least several days.DeBusk said there were a lot of people in the area at the time and the armed man posed a danger to children and adults around him.
A forensic unit responded to the neighborhood to process the scene.
“Obviously, it’s a very traumatic event when an officer is involved in a shooting like this. There are support groups that we have that we will offer to them,” DeBusk said.
The spokesman said he didn't know if the man had a criminal history.
"We’re very early into this investigation. That will be something that we’ll look at – the history of this individual," DeBusk said.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office had a deadly officer-involved shooting in February. 32-year-old Alcoa man Brandon Lambert was wanted on several warrants in Knox and Blount counties, including theft, evading arrest and reckless endangerment. On the evening of Mon., Feb. 13, KCSO deputies confronted Lambert in the parking lot of Pier One Imports at Turkey Creek. Investigators said he resisted and rammed law enforcement vehicles with his car.
Two deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office and one deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service then fired multiple shots at Lambert. He was taken to UT Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
By comparison, the Knoxville Police Department's last deadly officer-involved shooting was in 2014.
In the early morning of Sun., July 27, 2014, KPD officer David Gerlach stopped to assist two men - Ronald Carden and Nicholas Thomas - who had a flat tire and had pulled over on the West Hills exit.
Dashcam video shows the two men politely declining the officer's help. As Gerlach began to drive away, KPD said the results of a license plate check showed the men's tag was stolen.
The video shows Gerlach park again, call Carden over in front of the cruiser and radio the vehicle's details, while beginning to grab Carden's sleeve. That's when Carden throws two hard punches at the officer and both run out of view of the camera. The rest of the encounter is unable to be seen, but can be heard via Officer Gerlach's microphone.
The officer used a Taser on Carden, but the man still tried taking Gerlach's gun.
That's when the officer shot and killed Carden.
Carden had an extensive criminal history in the county and was recently released on parole, and KPD said he told Officer Gerlach he didn't want to go back to prison.
MORE: KPD dash cam video released in fatal officer-involved shooting (Aug. 2015)
MORE: Autopsy shows man fatally shot in back by KPD officer (Oct. 2015)
KPD spokesperson Darrell DeBusk said Officer Carden, who had been placed on paid leave until the investigation's conclusion, per procedure, was cleared by the Knox County District Attorney General on Nov. 10, 2014 and returned to regular duty.