Man dead after officer-involved shooting in Rutherford County

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — An officer-involved shooting closed a portion of Interstate 24 in Rutherford County for hours Wednesday morning.

The eastbound lanes were closed for over two hours near mile marker 83 just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16. However, around 5 a.m. one lane reopened, allowing some traffic to move through.

A heavy police presence was observed on the scene during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, at approximately 1:40 a.m., deputies conducted a traffic stop on a van near mile marker 86. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) added that deputies later learned that the driver—identified as 71-year-old Robert Michael Wemmer—had an outstanding warrant out of Ohio for sexual assault.

When deputies confronted Wemmer, he reportedly refused to respond to their commands, which "further escalated" the situation, according to the TBI.

After a deputy deployed a stun gun, Wemmer allegedly retrieved a semi-automatic handgun and fired towards the deputies at least once, which led them to return gunfire.

A press release from the sheriff's office stated, "During the investigation, gunshots were fired and the suspect was critically injured."

Wemmer was pronounced dead at a Rutherford County hospital. No law enforcement officers were hurt during the incident, officials said.

The TBI said the investigation remains active and ongoing, adding that special agents are "working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews."

No additional information was immediately released.