A hostage situation at a Tennessee apartment complex erupted into gunfire early Wednesday when police entered the residence after an hourslong standoff, leaving two brothers barricaded inside dead and wounding four officers and the hostage, authorities said.
The episode began Tuesday afternoon when the Clarksville Police Department executed arrest warrants at the apartment complex on aggravated burglary charges for the two brothers, according to preliminary information provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It did not say specifically whose gunfire hit those who were injured or killed.
The brothers, 31-year-old Brandon Green and 33-year-old Leonard Green, then barricaded themselves into an apartment with the hostage, spurring several hours of negotiations with Clarksville police, the TBI statement said.
At least one of the brothers fired several shots at officers during the episode, the Clarksville Police Department said via Facebook.
The bureau said the situation escalated when officers entered the apartment and gunfire broke out shortly after 12:30 a.m., which is when the Green brothers were killed. The four officers' wounds were not considered life-threatening.
The TBI statement didn't identify the hostage or provide details on the severity of their wounds.
The bureau is investigating the shooting, which is standard in cases where police use deadly force. The findings will be shared with a prosecutor to decide whether the use of force was consistent with state law.
