Mark J. Capps, 54, was fatally shot by a Nashville SWAT officer on Thursday afternoon


Image Credit: tennessean.com


What we know after Nashville police fatally shot Mark Capps.

Mark J. Capps, 54, was fatally shot by a Nashville SWAT officer on Thursday afternoon, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Police said Capps, a Grammy-winning recording engineer, held his wife and stepdaughter at gunpoint for hours at their Hermitage home before they escaped to a nearby police precinct.

Here’s what we know so far about the fatal shooting.

How it started: Family said Capps threatened to kill them, police

Capps woke his 60-year-old wife and 23-year-old stepdaughter Thursday around 3 a.m., gathered them at gunpoint in the living room of their Summit Run Place home, and refused to let them leave, according to MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron.

“They said Capps repeatedly pointed his pistol at each of them and told them multiple times that if they attempted to call anyone, he would kill them and would kill any police that showed up at the house,” Aaron said.

The women also told police Capps threw items around the home. Capps later fell asleep, they told police, giving them an opportunity to escape the house with their pets and drive to the Hermitage police precinct.

Nashville police send SWAT to Capps’ home

Warrants for two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated assault were issued around 2 p.m. The women also worked Thursday to file an order of protection against Capps.

Meanwhile, police went to the home.

“SWAT officers had been made aware of the case, due to Capps having access to guns and his violent actions overnight,” Aaron said.

Three SWAT officers were setting up what Aaron called a “covert” operation outside the home in preparation for the possibility of Capps barricading himself. That’s when Capps came to the front door with a pistol in his hand, Aaron said. During a news briefing, Aaron said police think Capps may have seen them on a camera system set up at the house.

MNPD spokesperson Kris Mumford told The Tennessean there were no recent calls to that Summit Run Place address and that Capps had no public arrest history in Davidson County.

Police release bodycam footage from fatal shooting

Editor’s note: This video contains graphic content and may not be suitable for sensitive viewers.

Around 8:45 p.m. Thursday, MNPD posted a YouTube video with commentary from Aaron and partial body-worn camera footage from SWAT Officer Kendall Coon. The footage began as Coon approached the front door of the home.

The footage showed the front door opening as Coon stood on the porch with his weapon in hand. Coon and another officer shouted at Capps to show his hands three times. It was unclear from the video if Capps said anything or pointed his gun at the officers.

“Officer Coon deemed that Capps’ movements posed an immediate, imminent threat and fired,” Aaron said in the video.

At least four shots could be heard in the video as the glass door shattered and the main door appeared to swing partially shut. The officers continued to yell at Capps to show his hands three more times as they entered the home before the body-camera footage cut back to Aaron’s commentary.

Capps died at the scene, Aaron said. No officers were hurt in the shooting. A photo of the pistol police said Capps was carrying was also in the video.

Capps was the son of Jimmy Capps, a beloved Opry guitarist and Musicians Hall of Fame member who died in 2020.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation takes up case; MNPD and oversight board launch reviews

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will lead the investigation into the fatal shooting of Capps. TBI often conducts use-of-force investigations in Nashville and statewide. It will report findings to the District Attorney’s office in Nashville.

“TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews,” TBI said in a news release around 9 p.m. Thursday.

MNPD will also conduct an administrative review of the shooting, per its policy, Aaron said.

Additionally, the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board reviewed the body-camera footage from the scene and said in a Twitter post that it had “many questions” in the wake of the shooting. TheĀ  board said it will also investigate the shooting.

Note: This article is taken from tennessean.com

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2023/01/06/mark-capps-nashville-what-we-know-after-fatal-police-shooting/69784111007/

 

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