The Franklin Police Department has issued a statement and released the body cam footage of the officer involved shooting that left a man dead on Monday, July 24.
Watch the body cam footage below:
Chief Faulkner statement and BWC footage from Franklin Police Public Affairs on Vimeo.
Below are comments from Chief Faulkner regarding the incident that took place at a Cool Springs Apartment complex.
The 9-1-1 call was received by the Williamson County Emergency Dispatch Center shortly after 6 p.m. The caller was a woman who stated she was the ex-girlfriend of Stephen Lawrence Tropia, age 37. She reported he was suicidal and had a gun.
Three Franklin Police Officers responded to the location to check on the welfare of Mr. Tropia. They were eventually able to get him to talk to them from behind the closed door of his apartment.
As they talked to Mr. Tropia, he said he had a gun–he confirmed he had quarreled with his girlfriend, and he told the Officers he did not care if he lived or died.
The Officers continued to engage him in conversation for almost 15 minutes, again, from behind his door. They tried to assure him they just wanted to help him. They asked him several times if would come out of his apartment but unarmed.
Mr. Tropia chose to come out of his apartment with a gun pointed at our officers.
Seeing the gun pointed directly at them, Officer Brigham VanHook responded in self-defense. Officers immediately rendered medical aid and had him quickly transported to an area hospital. Unfortunately, Mr. Tropia later died at the hospital.
Officer VanHook has been placed on administrative leave, as per Department policy, pending a thorough, independent investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
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