Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Steven Lawrence Tropia
Age : 37
Gender : Male
Race : White
Date : 07/25/2023
Location : Artessa Apartments, Cool Springs area
City : Franklin
County : Williamson
State : Tennessee
Agency : Franklin PD
Officer(s) :Unknown
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during mental health crisis
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 07/25/2023, at approximately 6:15 p.m., Franklin Police Department officers responded to the Artessa Apartments in the Cool Springs area of Franklin for a welfare check after a woman identifying herself as Steven Lawrence Tropia's former girlfriend reported that he was threatening to harm himself and was armed with a handgun. Officers spoke with Tropia from outside the apartment for an extended period in an effort to persuade him to surrender peacefully.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tropia eventually exited the apartment carrying a handgun. Police stated that he did not comply with repeated commands to drop the weapon and that officers opened fire during the confrontation. Tropia was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted the independent investigation into the shooting. In January 2024, the Williamson County District Attorney concluded that the officers' use of deadly force was legally justified under Tennessee law and declined to file criminal charges.
