NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A man walking on I-65 in Crieve Hall died after an officer-involved shooting on Thursday Afternoon, Metro Police said.
Metro Police Spokesman Don Aaron said Landon Eastep, 37, was sitting on the guardrail near exit 78. A Tennessee Highway Patrol saw the man and said he wanted to help him.
"Circumstances of this are unusual. State trooper wanted to help give him a ride off the interstate for his safety," Aaron said.
The trooper tried to talk to Eastep, Aaron said. However, Eastsep, who had been arrested by Metro Police previously, pushed the trooper pushed away.
"Trooper thought the situation was going to be okay. He pushed away from the trooper and showed the box cutter, which escalated the situation," Aaron said.
An Mt. Juliet off-duty officer, who was driving by, saw what was happening and stopped to help. Aaron said the trooper and off-duty officer tried de-escalating the situation for around 30 minutes. Aaron said Eastep had a box cutter in his left hand, and his right hand was in his pocket.
Late Thursday night, Metro Police released bodycam footage of the incident from two of their six officers that fired their weapons. However, it is unclear if the THP troopers were wearing bodycams at the time of the shooting. The Mt. Juliet officer was off-duty at the time and was not wearing a body camera.
Around 2:30 p.m., he pulled his right hand out of pocket and had a shiny silver object, Aaron said. He added that it was an 'abrupt' movement and law enforcement was unaware of what he had.
"[He was] kind of aiming something at them," Aaron said.
That's when Aaron says nine law enforcement members fired at Eastep. Aaron said the silver object was not a gun.
"Don't know what silver object was," Aaron said.
Although a taser was on standby, Aaron said no tasers were deployed. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation on the shooting.
Due to the investigation, both the southbound and northbound sides of Interstate 65 were closed at Exit 78. TDOT officials said traffic was diverted off the interstate at Old Hickory Blvd.
Eastep's wife organized a GoFundMe following this incident to raise money for his burial and service funds.
