The Knoxville Police Department has unveiled the body camera footage capturing the harrowing encounter that took place at a Fountain City gas station on April 17, where an armed assailant was shot by a police officer.

Responding to a disturbance call at the Exxon gas station on North Broadway at approximately 5:30 p.m., Officer Seth Beeler confronted a man, later identified as William Charles McBride Jr., who was reportedly behaving erratically and posed a potential threat within the store premises.

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The video reveals the tense moment when Officer Beeler, urged by a witness warning that McBride was wielding a knife, cautiously approached the scene. Subsequently, in a swift and threatening motion, McBride emerged from the store brandishing two knives, prompting Officer Beeler to discharge his firearm, resulting in McBride being subdued.

The footage also captured the subsequent minutes where Beeler, in the line of duty, secured the safety of bystanders while exercising caution. McBride, 41, was later pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the deceased had a degree in social work from the University of Tennessee and had served in the military, grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently delving into the circumstances of the incident, and the Knoxville Police Department, in line with protocol, is conducting an internal investigation to ascertain the adherence to their procedures and policies. The district attorney’s office will make a determination based on the findings of the TBI investigation.

The release of additional body camera footage showing officers providing medical aid to McBride has been deferred until the conclusion of the TBI inquiry and the subsequent decision by the district attorney.

This unfolding incident has served to highlight the complex intersection of mental health issues and law enforcement, shedding light on the struggles faced by individuals like McBride, as articulated by his family.

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