Shots fired, man airlifted after standoff near Covington

TIPTON COUNTY, Tenn. — A standoff with law enforcement officials in Tipton County ended with a man being airlifted to a Memphis hospital on Friday, according to the man’s family.

Family members and a neighbor identified the man at the center of that standoff as Rickey Reed Jr. He has not officially been identified by law enforcement.

State officials say the man is in critical condition at Regional One hospital.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents say they responded to Narrow Lane early Friday morning to investigate a “reported officer-involved shooting.”

Neighbors shared video of the standoff, saying police were negotiating with Reed to release hostages.

“As soon as we got down there, that’s when we heard boom, boom! They were barricading in there, and next thing you know all you heard is them going to war. All you hear is gun shots,“ said a neighbor who did not want to be identified.

Reed’s sister Desiree says police surrounded her mother’s home, saying they only wanted to talk to her brother. But the situation escalated into multiple shots being fired.

“There’s a lot of unanswered questions, but my biggest question is, if he was not armed and you don’t have a warrant, why do you feel it’s necessary to shoot him,“ she asked.

His sister says their mother owns this home and was never notified of the police visit. She also said police refused their offer to help calm the situation.

But the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which was called in to handle the investigation, said the incident began with an attempted traffic stop that turned into a pursuit, then a standoff.

According to their preliminary information, law enforcement tried to pull over a driver on Highway 51 at 2:50 a.m. That driver refused to pull over, and police began a pursuit.

“The subject drove to a home on Narrow Lane, south of Covington, where he barricaded himself inside. Tipton County Sheriff’s Department SWAT responded to the barricade and made entry into the house. When they encountered the individual inside, he made a sudden movement, causing deputies to fire their weapons at approximately 9:48 a.m., striking him,” the TBI said in a statement.

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TBI says the investigation remains active and ongoing.

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