UPDATED 12/29/22 at 4:50p ET: The deceased individual has been identified as Damean Alexander Jones (DOB 10/05/1996) of Chattanooga.

Preliminary information indicates deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The driver failed to stop and a pursuit ensued; the driver fired upon deputies but did not strike anything. After initially losing track of the vehicle, around 9 a.m., deputies located it again, and along with Chattanooga police officers, engaged in a subsequent pursuit of the vehicle. That pursuit ended near the 100 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard. Reports from the scene indicate the driver got out of the vehicle, brandished a firearm, and exchanged shots with law enforcement officers. One deputy sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and was treated at a local hospital. The subject, who had not yet been positively identified, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing. TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for her further review and consideration. The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether an officer’s actions were justified in these matters. That decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.

The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as it sees fit.