KNOXVILLE, TN (3-minute read) – On the morning of April 27, Knoxville Police Officers Hunter Powers and Cayden Riddle responded to a distress call on Santala Drive. A troubling domestic disturbance escalated rapidly, resulting in officers encountering 25-year-old Jamauri Griffin, who shockingly fired his firearm point-blank at a young woman’s face.
Captured on body-cam, the intense scene unfolded within mere seconds as officers stepped into the home. The footage, released on May 8, illustrates the critical moments of the confrontation: Griffin, firearm in hand, directly shot the 23-year-old woman, just as officers identified themselves. The officers’ quick response saw them discharging their firearms, striking Griffin, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman sustained severe but non-life-threatening injuries and was urgently transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The aftermath of the incident shows the officers securing the firearm and attending to the injured woman, demonstrating the rapid yet critical decisions law enforcement must often make.
Currently, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the KPD’s Office of Professional Standards are thoroughly investigating the shooting. Both officers, recent graduates of the Knoxville Police Department training academy as of February 2023, have been placed on routine administrative leave pending further review.
Firearm Safety Tip: Always treat every firearm as if it were loaded, and never point a firearm at anything you are not willing to destroy.
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