Who was killed
| Recorded race | Killed by police | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 250 | 0.0% |
| Black | 101 | 0.0% |
| Unknown race | 32 | 0.0% |
| Hispanic | 20 | 0.0% |
| Asian | 4 | 0.0% |
| Black;Hispanic | 1 | 0.0% |
Recorded by Mapping Police Violence from public reporting and official sources. Where race was not established it is recorded as not recorded, and that category is shown rather than removed.
What the person was recorded as armed with
| Recorded as armed with | Killed by police |
|---|
Agencies in Tennessee with enough records to report
Only agencies recorded in at least 12 incidents are given their own page. Most of the 4,641 agencies in the database appear once or twice, and a page built on one or two incidents would say nothing.
| Agency | Type | Killed by police | Body camera on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Police Department | 35 | 14.3% | |
| Metropolitan Nashville Police Department | 31 | 72.0% | |
| Chattanooga Police Department | 15 | 20.0% | |
| Shelby County Sheriff's Office | 14 | 8.3% | |
| Knox County Sheriff's Office | 13 | 0.0% | |
| Knoxville Police Department | 13 | 33.3% |
Where a complaint goes in Tennessee
A complaint normally goes first to the agency's own internal affairs division. Larger cities may also have a civilian review board or independent monitor. The Tennessee Attorney General can investigate patterns of misconduct, and the federal Department of Justice can open a pattern-or-practice investigation.
A civil claim for a violation of constitutional rights is usually brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Deadlines are set by Tennessee law, not federal law, and they are strict.
How people were killed
| Cause of death | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Gunshot | 391 | 95.8% |
| Taser | 7 | 1.7% |
| Gunshot, Taser | 3 | 0.7% |
| Other | 2 | 0.5% |
| Asphyxiated | 1 | 0.2% |
| Pepper Spray, Taser | 1 | 0.2% |
| Beaten | 1 | 0.2% |
| Gunshot, Police Dog | 1 | 0.2% |
| Gunshot, Unspecified Less Lethal Weapon | 1 | 0.2% |
Where more than one means is recorded for the same death, both appear in the combined category rather than being counted twice.
Were any officers charged
Of the 408 deaths recorded in Tennessee, 7 led to a criminal charge against an officer, 1.7% of them. In 401 there is no known charge.
| Outcome where a charge was brought | Cases |
|---|---|
| Convicted, or pleaded guilty | 3 |
| Acquitted | 0 |
| Charges dropped | 0 |
| Charged, outcome not recorded | 4 |
Share a finding about Tennessee
Every statement here is generated from the published figures by code. None of it is written by a person or produced by a language model, and each one carries its source and its period so you can check it before you pass it on.
184 separate law enforcement agencies in Tennessee appear in this database. The United States has no single national police force, and each of those agencies runs its own complaints process.
Source: Mapping Police Violence, 2013 to 2026. Figures as published; see the tables on this page for the full denominators.
Tennessee policing in the news
The five most recent reports mentioning this force, collected automatically. Headlines and links belong to the publishers named. We do not edit, summarise or endorse them, and inclusion here does not imply any finding against anyone.
- Former Nashville SRO admitted to sexual misconduct, remains eligible for rehire
- Grandmother files lawsuit, saying her arrest was staged for reality TV show
- Did Tennessee woman spend 6 months in jail after AI tool misidentified her?
- When federal oversight fails, police decertification must lead the way
- Covington officer accused of misconduct, fired after 20 years of service
Data last refreshed , covering 2013 to 2026. Every figure on this page is recomputed from the source datasets, not edited by hand. Found something wrong? Tell us.