KPD OFFICERS IN 2021 SHOOTING OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ANTHONY THOMPSON JR CLEARED OF USE OF FORCE VIOLATIONS
KPD said its investigation found all four officers did not break any policies or procedures for use of force, saying they handled it “the best way they could.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department announced Wednesday it has cleared four officers of any internal use of force policy violations more than a year after one shot and killed a 17-year-old student during a confrontation at Austin-East Magnet High School.
KPD Chief Paul Noel said all of the officers acted within department policy for use of force in the shooting, saying KPD only reprimanded one officer for not turning on their body camera that day. Noel said the officers handled the situation “the best way they could.”
Mayor Indya Kincannon and Noel said it was a “tragic day” for all involved.
“We know that this incident damaged relationships between our department and the community”, Noel said. “Rest assured, I am committed and the Knoxville Police Department is committed to put the work in to repair those relationships.”
During the 11-second struggle inside the school bathroom on April 12, 2021, officers said they feared for their lives when they realized Anthony Thompson Jr. had a gun concealed inside the pocket of his hoodie. After Thompson’s gun fired, officer Jonathon Clabough shot and killed Thompson and wounded a fellow officer. Thompson died on the bathroom floor.
Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen declined to prosecute the four officers. She made the announcement a little more than a week after the incident, saying the shooting was justified and Clabough acted in his own self-defense and in the defense of the other officers.
