Jeremy Ryan Marshall, 24, of Lafayette, was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday night after a single shot from Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. William Avera.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is releasing very little information about the incident as is the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who is now handling the case.

According to authorities, Marshall was clocked at a high rate of speed in a brown Monte Carlo on Old Highway 52 by Sgt. Avera.

Sgt. Avera activated his blue lights and began a pursuit. Marshall was reportedly driving very erratically and placed several lives in danger including his girlfriend and passenger in the vehicle, Rita Biggs.

At one point he made contact with a white 1992 Plymouth Sunbird. The passenger, a pregnant female, was injured and transported to Macon County General Hospital where she was treated and released.

Marshall also allegedly made contact with Sgt. Avera's patrol car causing Sgt. Avera to "fear for his life" as he reported to News Channel 5.

The pursuit continued onto Highway 10 along the Scottsville Road toward Wright's Trailer Park. It was at the last home on the right that Marshall finally stopped the vehicle and exited, running across Highway 10 and into a field.

Sgt. Avera declined to speak to the Macon County Times, but commented on News Channel 5 that he felt his life was in danger. The young man fell in the field and when he reportedly stood up he was in what Sgt. Avera felt was a threatening position. He then fired one shot that killed Marshall instantly.

Sgt. Avera stated that he was devastated that authorities did not find a gun at the scene. This statement leads the public to believe that he felt his life, and the lives of two city officers was threatened by a gun. It has not been released how many other officers where at the scene when the incident occurred or immediately following the incident.

Sgt. Avera is a 21 year veteran of the THP and has reportedly been placed on administrative leave with pay until the investigation is complete. This is reportedly the first incident involving a shooting death that Sgt. Avera has been involved in. This is the only official information that has been released by Beth Denton, spokesperson for the TBI and the THP.

Authorities are allegedly receiving conflicting information from witnesses at the scene. Several say they saw Sgt. Avera jump from the car and shoot without shouting a stop command while others say they swear Sgt. Avera yelled for Marshall to halt. This case remains under investigation, and according to Denton will continue for several days.

District Attorney Tommy Thompson said, "The TBI is saying that Marshall was shot in the back, but the angle of the shot is not being released. It is still unclear if he was shot in the center of the back or on the side. No information has been released to confirm or deny the information Sgt. Avera has released."

The aunt of Marshall, Cindy Marshall, said, "Their is no reason for this, he didn't have a gun, he was just scared of the law."

It is very unusual for a State Trooper to comment on an incident without permission from his superiors, however Sgt. Avera felt he needed to clarify the situation to the news station. He stands firm in the belief that Marshall was dangerous, especially after the hit and run with a civilian vehicle and the accident with the patrol car. He also maintains that he felt threatened at the scene.

Thompson stated that Sgt. Avera reacted to a situation as he has been trained to do for the past 21 years.

This is not the first time Marshall has been in trouble with the law. The most recent act was in June of 2003 when he was arrested and charged with the theft of a motor vehicle. This is one of 22 counts of which he pled guilty to eight of those counts. One of those counts included felony fleeing from a county deputy in 2001.

Funeral arrangements for Marshall have not been released.