COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Interstate 24 was closed in Coffee County after a shooting involving a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper Thursday evening.
The incident happened in the westbound lanes near exit 117 around 11:00 p.m., according to online records from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported troopers initially stopped a vehicle and at some point, the vehicle drove away. The driver fired shots from his vehicle, striking a THP patrol car, according to the TBI.
According to a release, spike strips were then deployed to stop the suspect’s vehicle, which is when the driver got out and fired a weapon, striking a THP trooper.
The TBI said troopers returned fire and shot the suspect. The trooper was taken to a Nashville hospital and the suspect was transported to a Chattanooga hospital. The trooper has since been released.
The suspect was later identified by Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott as 30-year-old Darren Jackson, of Illinois. He is facing two charges of attempted first-degree murder.
A woman inside the vehicle was let out of the car near the weigh station at mile marker 116, according to Northcott. She was charged with simple possession.
Northcott said the traffic stop was initiated due to the darkness of the vehicle’s window tint.
No additional information was immediately released.