By Tim Ghianni
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Tennessee authorities opened an investigation on Thursday into the slaying of a 28-year-old man by a police officer responding to a report of domestic disturbance near Nashville, a state law enforcement official said.
Few details have been released about the fatal encounter outside a residence late Wednesday evening in Spring Hill, a city of some 34,000 residents roughly 30 miles southwest of Nashville.
Susan Niland, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said by e-mail, "The officer encountered the subject outside of the home and during the exchange, the officer fired at the subject."
The man, Christopher Blake Tucker, was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Niland said.
Niland would not immediately provide any other details, including whether Tucker was armed, the circumstances of the reported domestic disturbance or how the slain man may have been involved.
Niland said both the patrolman, who was not identified, and Tucker are white.
The Spring Hill Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tucker's mother told local broadcaster WSMV that her son was "maliciously shot" by the officer and said her son had children.
The fatal shooting comes as a number of police departments across the United States have faced increased scrutiny in recent years over the use of deadly force, particularly in cases involving mentally ill or drug-or-alcohol-addled suspects, or people of color.
A local prosecutor asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident, as is standard procedure in a police-involved shooting, Niland said.
"The investigation remains active and ongoing at this time," Niland said.
(Editing by Eric M. Johnson and Leslie Adler)
