Allegedly Armed Suspect Dies After Being Shot by Metro Officer

The Metro Nashville Police Department has released their version of the events that led up to Officer Josh Lippert firing on Jocques Clemmons after a confrontation in the James A. Cayce Homes Friday afternoon.

Police say Lippert fired three times following two separate physical confrontations with Clemmons — who police say was armed with a fully loaded .357 magnum pistol, of which they have released a photograph — hitting Clemmons in the lower left back with what is believed to be two rounds. The interaction between Lippert and Clemmons began, police say, after Clemmons ran a stop sign.

Clemmons later died during surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The MNPD release detailing the department's account of what led up to those shots being fired is lengthy and reprinted in below for you to read. Police collected surveillance video (some of which you can view below) from the public housing development and they cite that in their account.

Jocques Scott Clemmons, 31, the gunman shot by East Precinct Flex Officer Josh Lippert shortly after 1 p.m. today on S. 6^th Street in the James Cayce public housing development, died during surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Lippert fired on Clemmons, who was carrying a fully loaded .357 magnum pistol, after two separate physical confrontations.

Lippert, who was in full uniform driving an unmarked police car, saw Clemmons run a stop sign from a parking lot that empties onto S. 6^th Street. Clemmons had parked his SUV outside a Cayce Homes building and was getting out when Lippert drove up to talk with him about running the stop sign. Cayce Homes video shows that Clemmons abruptly charged at Officer Lippert, making full contact with his body. Clemmons then ran through the parking lot and appeared to be clutching something in his waistband. Lippert gave chase and soon caught up with Clemmons.  A second physical confrontation ensued as Lippert attempted to take Clemmons into custody.  Clemmons went to the ground, at which point the .357 magnum dropped to the concrete.  Lippert spotted the gun and attempted to kick at it and Clemmons’ arm to prevent him from picking it up.  Clemmons retrieved the pistol.  Despite repeated commands from Lippert for Clemmons to drop the gun, Clemmons refused.  Clemmons and Lippert were within a few feet of each other as Clemmons continued to move with gun in hand.  Lippert, believing he was in imminent danger, fired on Clemmons just as Clemmons was turning to move between two parked vehicles.  Lippert fired three times.  Clemmons was hit in the lower left back by what is presently believed to have been two rounds.

After Clemmons was hit, Lippert and fellow officers rendered first aid until Fire Department personnel arrived.  Officer Lippert retrieved Clemmons’ gun from the parking lot and placed it into a police car for safekeeping.  The gun was on a police car floorboard when it was photographed (see attached picture of the weapon).

Clemmons was convicted of a cocaine felony in 2014 and received an eight-year probated sentence.  As a convicted felon, it would be a violation of both state and federal law to possess the pistol.  It is not known why Clemmons reacted the way he did to Officer Lippert.  The fact that he was illegally carrying a gun in public housing may have been the reason.

Lippert, a five-year veteran, is on routine administrative assignment while the shooting is investigated.  Members of the District Attorney’s Office were also on the scene, as is protocol in officer-involved shootings.

East Precinct Flex Units have stepped up their visibility in Cayce Homes after an increase in the number of aggravated assaults in the area.  Through February 7 there had been 36 in 2017, compared to 10 during the same period last year. 

%{[ data-embed-type="oembed" data-embed-id="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fSNkIE0XFE" data-embed-element="aside">In an article published earlier this afternoon, WKRN reported that two eyewitnesses said "they saw the man running before three shots were fired and he was hit in the back." That version of their story no longer appears online. 

Cayce, the city's largest public housing development has been the site of confrontations with police before. Last year, a Scene cover story reported on two violent incidents, there and the police response which included increasing the number of officers patrolling the community. Residents who spoke to the Scene at the time said they welcomed a police presence, to keep the neighborhood safe, but objected to the types of harassing interactions with police they said were routine.

Update (9:50 p.m.): 

Black Lives Matter Nashville released this statement, following the news that Clemmons had died:

Tonight we lift up the name JOCQUES SCOTT CLEMMONS of Nashville who was shot and killed by police today in Cayce Homes. All too often, traffic stops end up deadly for black people #DrivingWhileBlack. A passed stop sign yields flashing blue lights and our hearts race as our palms begin to sweat and fear kicks in, not knowing if today, if this time will be the day. We center and uplift the grieving family of JOCQUES and the community of Cayce Homes that witnessed his murder. We will not stop saying his name- reaffirming his humanity each time. We are often stripped of our humanity when killed by the police and portrayed to be criminals, defiant of “authority”, violent- none of which are a death sentence. JOCQUES was a human being, born flesh and blood who was loved by his family, not unlike many of us. This could have been any of us tonight. Many of us are grieving, many of us are angry. We have every right to be. You are affirmed in being angry and in being heartbroken.

We reject any narrative that will be spun by local news sources that paint JOCQUES as anything other than a human being. A human being who lived, and breathed, and smiled and whose life was stolen today. Stolen by a system that often goes unchecked, with no impunity. “When crime is organized enough, it isn’t even illegal”. It becomes systemic and is ingrained in the very fabric of our society in the form of laws and policies and the enforcement of these laws and policies. News reports will soon follow. Push back. Push back. Push back. Push back for JOCQUES’ humanity. Push back for JOCQUES’ family. Push back for our folks. We must love and protect one another.

And now JOCQUES SCOTT CLEMMONS is #JocquesScottClemmons joining countless others whose lives were stolen. #NotAGunman 

-BLM Nashville

Update (Tuesday, 11 a.m.): MNPD says that a newly available video shows that Clemmons did not have a physical altercation with Lippert when exiting his vehicle. Earlier video made it appear that he did. From a release:

Cayce Homes surveillance video just made available to the MNPD this morning indicates that there was NOT a physical confrontation between Jocques Clemmons and Officer Joshua Lippert just after the two men got out of their vehicles.

The new video angle, which was not available until today due to a broken MDHA server that required repair, shows Clemmons run toward Lippert in an effort to go around him and stopped just short of him.  Clemmons then turned around and ran in the opposite direction.  Video from another camera angle further away obtained on Friday and publicly released created the impression of contact between Clemmons and Lippert just after they exited their vehicles.

“As part of the full and accountable investigation into this matter, it is important that the community know of this new development,” Chief Steve Anderson said.  “The investigation is active and progressing.  We are engaging with the FBI.  Citizens have my assurance that the investigation will be fair, objective and complete.”

When interviewed by detectives on Friday, Lippert did NOT assert that he was physically contacted by Clemmons just after he got out of the police car.  That interview occurred before he had the opportunity to see any video.