At the request of 3rd District Attorney General Dan Armstrong, TBI Agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday morning in Hamblen County.
Preliminary information indicates that just after 5:30 a.m., the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a crash in the 3000 block of Heathcliff Road in Morristown. The male driver was reportedly acting disorderly and was armed with a gun.
Upon arrival, a deputy spotted the vehicle in a field. The deputy observed a male subject nearby and approached him. For reasons still under investigation, the man, identified as Anthony John Michael Zappier (DOB 10/28/99), refused to comply with verbal commands and began fighting the deputy. According to statements taken at the scene, Zappier ran and entered the deputy’s cruiser. The deputy tried to stop him and was dragged by the vehicle through a field. At that point, the deputy fired his service weapon, striking Zappier. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The deputy sustained injuries during the incident. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
This remains an active and ongoing investigation, as TBI Special Agents and Forensic Scientists work to gather any and all relevant interviews and evidence. As in any case, TBI’s investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General throughout the process for his consideration and review.
As is our policy, the TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to their respective department.
Any updates on this investigation will be posted online at TBINewsroom.
TBINewsroom.com 