It happened around 9:30pm at a home on Robert E. Lee near C.E. King Parkway.
Investigators say four Precinct 3 deputy constables were searching for the suspect at a home. As they approached the garage, he reportedly lunged at them. A deputy constable who feared for his life shot the suspect one time. He died at the scene.
Investigators say they mistook a flashlight the suspect was carrying as a weapon, but the suspect's family disputes their account.
"They said he had a flashlight in his hand, they thought it was a gun," said the victim's relative Tammy Elders. "If they had a light, they could have seen that it wasn't a gun."
The family has identified the suspect as Tracy Dear.
Investigators say the deputy who shot the suspect has been on the force for about eight years.
