(MURFREESBORO) Here is an update on the attempted double robbery at the Oaks Shopping Center on Thompson Lane. The suspect in the case who did not show his hands and then charged the Murfreesboro police officer with a knife and was shot when he did not obey the commands to surrender has been identified as 44-year old Stephen James Murphy of Murfreesboro.
BODY CAM VIDEO FROM OFFICER ADAM CLAIBORNE AS HE APPROACHED JASON'S DELI TO FIND THE 44-YEAR OLD SUSPECT JAMES MURPHY:
Murphy died in the ER at Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital.
The incident began around 9:13AM Wednesday morning (11/22/2023) when Murphy allegedly approached a Loomis Security officer who was servicing the stand-alone ATM machine in the Oaks Shopping Center's parking lot.
Police spokesperson Larry Flowers told WGNS, "He attempted to rob the ATM machine while the Loomis employee was servicing the machine. However, the Loomis agent drew his weapon, and Stephen James Murphy fled--running approximately 300-feet across the parking lot. He entered Jason's Deli, and according to the Murfreesboro Police preliminary investigation, attempted a second robbery.
Jason's Deli was not yet open, and there were six employees in the business.
While this was going on, the Loomis agent called 911 and by the time Murphy made it into Jason's Deli, police were already on-the-scene in large numbers.
One officer entered the restaurant with his service revolver drawn and ordered the suspect to surrender. He repeated that command several times, and the police report shows that Murphy charged the officer with a knife. At that time, the police officer fired and hit Murphy several times.
District Attorney General Jennings Jones requested that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation complete the investigation.
In addition, now that Murfreesboro has body cams on all officers, the tragic incident was captured on video for investigators and the courts to use.
DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
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