An Alabama man who held two people hostage and fled across state lines was shot and killed by police in Hardin County, Tennessee, deputies said Monday.
Deputies were in a “standoff” with an armed individual, who was inside a vehicle with two hostages, on Highway 69, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement posted to social media Monday morning.
The situation stemmed from a vehicle pursuit that began in Florence around 3:00 a.m. Police did not say what prompted the pursuit or the hostage situation. During the pursuit, the driver shot at a Lauderdale County deputy, the statement said.
The driver, who the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has identified as of Zachary Hoffman of Lauderdale County, Alabama, held two adult hostages at gunpoint, and one hostage was released after hours of negotiation. His car stopped on Highway 69 in Walnut Grove, Tennessee, after his tires were flattened by spike strips.
The encounter ended after police shot and killed Hoffman. No hostages or police officers were injured.
Florence Police and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the pursuit. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating what happened.
A deputy with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a voicemail seeking comment.
