Bristol, Va. – A man was shot and killed by police in Bristol early Tuesday after refusing to surrender and driving a car in the direction of officers.
Shortly before 4:30 a.m., Bristol Police received a 911 call from an occupant at a motel in the 2200 block of Euclid Ave. about shots being fired. When officers arrived, they found Jonathan B. Kohler, 31, of Bristol, Tennessee, seated in the driver’s seat of a 1994 Ford Mustang. Kohler refused to exit his car, despite repeated commands by the officers. He put the Mustang into drive and sped towards one of the officers. The officer fired at the car as it headed in his direction. Kohler was struck by gunfire and died at the scene.
No officers were injured during the incident, which remains under investigation.
Virginia State Police are handling the probe at the request of Bristol Police Chief John Austin.