Authorities: Officer kills fleeing driver of stolen vehicle

DICKSON, Tenn. – Tennessee authorities say an officer fatally shot a driver who had fled in a vehicle that was reported stolen.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Susan Niland said in an email that it happened Sunday afternoon in Hickman County, about 40 miles west of Nashville.

She said it began when a Dickson police officer began chasing a stolen vehicle and another officer joined the pursuit. The chase ended outside the city limits.

Niland said the driver was chased on foot by an officer while one passenger remained with the vehicle and another fled.

She said the driver was shot after an altercation with the officer. She said initial reports indicate the suspect pulled a knife.

The TBI identified the slain man late Sunday as 32-year-old Kyle Andrew Lankford of Burns, Tennessee.