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Police fatally shoot off-duty corrections officer who allegedly targeted woman in Tennessee

Posted at 3:57 PM, Feb 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-18 15:59:32-05

GREENVILLE, Tenn. – Police in Tennessee shot and killed an off-duty corrections officer who had reportedly targeted a woman he had been dating.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced Monday that its agents are investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting death of Travis Mullins, 29.

TBI says the incident began when the Greeneville Police Department received a report of a hit-and-run incident in the parking lot of Lowe’s.

“The incident was reportedly domestic in nature and involved a male subject targeting a woman he had been dating,” wrote TBI in a statement.

While investigating the incident, TBI says Greenville officers received information that the male, Mullins, was headed back to the scene. When officers encountered Mullins, he was dressed in a Cocke County Sheriff’s Office uniform and armed with a gun, TBI says.

At that point, TBI says one of the Greeneville officers made contact with Mullins, disarmed him and attempted to arrest him, but at some point, Mullins was able to get back inside his vehicle and grab another firearm.

“At that point, Mullins reportedly pointed the gun at the officers, resulting in one of the officers firing shots, striking Mullins,” wrote TBI.

Mullins was pronounced dead at the scene. He was employed as a corrections officer with the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office and was off duty at the time.

TBI did not identify the other officers involved in the shooting.