Officer-Involved Shooting — Columbia Police Department
Columbia, TN (September 12, 2026) - Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Haywood released the following statement regarding an officer-involved shooting that occurred Saturday morning at a residence on Skyview Drive.
At approximately 9:33 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, officers with the Columbia Police Department responded to 302 Skyview Drive following a call for service reporting that a 48-year-old male, Matthew Kirk, who resides at the residence, was outside with a handgun and firing rounds into the ground.
Columbia Police officers quickly arrived on scene. Upon arrival, officers were met with multiple rounds of gunfire from Kirk. The initial responding officer immediately returned fire, at which time Kirk retreated inside the residence.
Columbia Police Department SWAT officers and crisis negotiators responded to the scene and were able to establish contact with Kirk by telephone. During negotiations, officers learned that Kirk had sustained multiple gunshot wounds as a result of the exchange of gunfire with the responding officer.
Due to the potential for life-threatening injuries, an emergency entry team entered the residence and took Kirk into custody without further incident.
Kirk was treated at the scene by EMS personnel and subsequently transported by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he is currently undergoing surgery.
District Attorney Brent Cooper was contacted regarding the incident and requested that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) respond to conduct an independent investigation. All further inquiries regarding the investigation should be directed to the TBI.
No Columbia Police officers were injured during the incident.
As is standard procedure in officer-involved shooting incidents, the officer involved will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the TBI investigation.
ABOUT COLUMBIA, TN
The City of Columbia is the county seat of Maury County, located 45 miles south of Nashville, Tennessee. Columbia is experiencing a renaissance of new industry, residential development, a bustling historic downtown square, and emerging arts district while attracting companies, residents, and visitors looking for affordability, quality of life, and a Main Street experience, all in a convenient location. Columbia is a Southern Living ‘Top 10 Best Small Town’ and the ancestral home of the 11th U.S. President James K. Polk.
