Suspect dead after hostage standoff in Hardin County

HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — A suspect is dead after an hours-long standoff in Hardin County.

Lauderdale County, Alabama Sheriff Joe Hamilton says around 3 a.m. Monday, officers with the Florence, Alabama Police Department began a vehicle pursuit.

Sheriff Hamilton says Lauderdale County deputies joined the pursuit, and spike strips were deployed in an attempt to stop the vehicle.

Sheriff Hamilton says the driver fired shots out of the vehicle’s window at a Lauderdale County deputy, who did not receive injuries.

The pursuit crossed over into Tennessee, heading north on Highway 69, before the vehicle eventually became disabled in the Walnut Grove community of Hardin County.

Our crews arrived on scene around 9 a.m., and noticed a long traffic jam caused by Tennessee Highway Patrol officers blocking the two-lane highway.

Our crews could not reach the exact location where the incident occurred due to the blockade, and were denied multiple times when asked to move closer.

According to Sheriff Hamilton, the driver was holding hostage a female passenger in the front seat, along with a male passenger in the back seat.

Hamilton says authorities tried to negotiate with the suspect as a SWAT team arrived on scene.

Hamilton says the suspect eventually let the back seat male passenger out of the vehicle, but would not let the female leave. As authorities continued negotiating, Hamilton says the suspect pointed a gun at the female, as well as himself.

According to the TBI, around 8 a.m., for reasons still under investigation, shots were fired and the suspect was hit, and later pronounced dead at the scene.

TBI has identified the suspect at 28-year-old Zachary Hoffman of Lauderdale County, Alabama.

According to Sheriff Hamilton, the female passenger was freed with no injuries.

Click here to read the full news release from the TBI.

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