NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville District Attorney's office announced Friday it wouldn't prosecute any officers in the shooting death of Landon Eastep in late January on Interstate 65.
Nine law enforcement personnel — consisting of MNPD officers, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers and an off-duty Mt. Juliet officer shot at the man — killing him after police found him walking along the interstate and wouldn't comply with commands to drop a box cutter from his hands.
"After a review of the TBI investigation, and in particular the body camera footage of the scene at the time of the shooting, District Attorney Glenn Funk has concluded that Landon Eastep’s actions were designed to cause officers to perceive an immediate threat and his actions did cause officers to reasonably perceive an immediate threat," DA's spokesperson Steve Hayslip said. "Therefore, all shots fired were legally justified."
The incident started Jan. 27 around 2 p.m. when a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer stopped Eastep for walking alongside the interstate with two different bags. He told the officer he was going to Brentwood. When Eastep decided against getting in the officer's vehicle, the trooper called for assistance. The situation shut down the interstate.
"No criminal charges will be filed against any of the law enforcement officers in this incident," Hayslip said. "District Attorney Glenn Funk has today issued a letter directing the TBI to close this investigation.
The DA's office also said in its release Friday that Eastep had meth and fentanyl in his system during the encounter with police.
As the DA's office decided to close the investigation, the Eastep family has since decided to sue over his death.
