DUI Checkpoints & Crime on the Road, Sobriety Checkpoints

October 6, 2009

The Bellevue man shot by SWAT officers at 11:45 a.m. today after raising a pistol toward them is identified as Timothy Craig Terry, 31, of 3601 Waterford Circle (Waterford Place Apartments). Terry is in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Police arrived at Terry’s apartment at 9:15 p.m. Monday after his sister reported that he suffered from schizophrenia, was off his medication, and was walking around the apartment with a gun talking to the television, talking to his computer, and talking to his deceased father. Mobile Crisis representatives during the night issued emergency committal papers for Terry. Police negotiators worked throughout the night to establish a dialogue with Terry without success. Two phones were delivered at the apartment. Terry refused to pick up either one. Officers heard Terry make numerous references to Satan and that he was waiting on Jesus Christ. Numerous requests for Terry to exit the apartment unarmed were ignored. At 7:26 a.m., he fired a shot through his bedroom window near where officers had been trying to communicate with him. At 11:11 a.m. he fired a shot through his bedroom wall.

At 11:43 a.m., Terry exited his apartment with pistol in hand and sat on breezeway steps facing the parking lot and SWAT officers. He was ordered repeatedly to drop his gun, which Terry switched from hand to hand. He ignored the commands, started to stand up and pointed the pistol in the direction of the SWAT officers. Believing that Terry posed an imminent threat, SWAT members Scott Byrd and Tim Szymanski fired on Terry with their assigned rifles. He was hit, received emergency treatment at the scene, and was rushed to Vanderbilt Medical Center.

This is the second time this year Metro officers have had to deal with Terry’s bizarre and erratic behavior. On January 19th, officers were called to Creekwood Apartments in Bellevue after Terry was spotted walking around the complex in his boxer shorts carrying a large sword. Officers found Terry in his apartment with the door ajar. He advanced on police with the sword while yelling nonsense. He refused to drop the weapon and told officers they would have to kill him. A Taser was deployed more than once, which allowed officers to take Terry into custody. He was sent that day for a psychological evaluation.
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