A Middle Tennessee prosecutor who had been on a ride-a-long with police faces a felony charge of reckless endangerment after firing at a fugitive wanted in connection with a triple homicide.
Chris Stanford, the district attorney for Warren and Van Buren counties, said he fired the gun in self-defense. But a DeKalb County grand jury found there was no immediate threat to him or others when he fired his gun “unlawfully, intentionally and recklessly,” failing to even aim the weapon, according to the indictment.
Video of the Nov. 21 incident contradicts Stanford’s claim that he and other officers were under immediate duress. It shows him firing his weapon at a fleeing car that had just struck a Homeland Security officer. One of the bullets fired by the 43-year-old DA landed in an apartment where a woman and her three children reside.
According to WTVF in Nashville, one stray round went through an exterior wall and into the living room, missing the mother and 3-year-old daughter by two feet. No one was shot by Stanford, who fired three to five rounds.
Stanford claimed he acted in response to a Homeland Security agent being hit by the fleeing vehicle. The unnamed agent was injured and taken to the hospital.
“The vehicle then drove toward me and others, accelerating quickly,” Stanford said in a statement to reporters following the incident. “I fired my service weapon in defense of myself and others at the scene. Based upon my training and the circumstances that presented themselves, I believe my actions were necessary and justified.
Stanford also claimed he had state law enforcement certification to carry his weapon at all times. But according to the Tennessee Department of Insurance and Commerce, the prosecutor had not been POST-certified.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office described the circumstances leading to the incident involving Stanford in a social media post last month. Authorities were pursuing two suspects after finding three dead bodies at a house and at an adjacent building in Smithville, Tennessee
The suspects were spotted in DeKalb County, the sheriff’s office said. One of them was taken into custody without incident. Stanford was with the officers who chased the other suspect, a passenger in the fleeing vehicle.
The driver of that vehicle struck the Homeland Security officer.
The two suspects in the triple homicide were taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide, while the driver, also detained, faces felony evading arrest and aggravated assault charges, according to officials.
Because he is a witness to the alleged crimes, Stanford will not be able to prosecute the case. He was released on $10,000 bond after turning himself in to DeKalb County authorities on Monday and remains in his position. Stanford is scheduled to make his first court appearance Jan. 7.
Think they’re movie stars. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/Pvhmfyrnpx
— Traumala (@TNsmartass) December 18, 2024
Social media users largely condemned the prosecutor’s actions.
One user joked that “They think they’re movie stars” using a meme from the film franchise “Bad Boy.”
“He has the complexion to do this without penalty,” wrote X user @DayumWell. “Goes right along w the incoming Administration. This is just the start. This is America.”
Another commenter remarked on how Stanford involving himself made law enforcement’s job tougher.
“Cops are trained to go towards violence to make themselves and others safe. They train the instinct to shoot responsibly,” said X user @TB6845014462935. “Gun owner who attempts this without prolonged training will make major mistakes. A carry permit needs prolonged training.”
