Cops Shot, Manhunt for Police Chief's Son Underway
Police in Tennessee were searching Sunday for the estranged son of Nashville’s police chief as the suspect in the shooting of two police officers in a neighboring city.
Officers in La Vergne, a city about 20 miles southeast of Nashville, were investigating a stolen vehicle outside a Dollar General store Saturday afternoon when they struggled with the man, who pulled a handgun and shot them, said LaVergne Police Chief Christopher Moews.
Police identified the man as John C. Drake Jr., 38, who is the son of Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake.
Here is a picture of the Nashville police chief’s son. pic.twitter.com/gpePhRVBP3
— Troy (@gixxer1k2005) October 22, 2023
One of the officers was shot twice, in the groin and right forearm, while the other officer was hit in the rear left shoulder. Both were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
One of the officers was released from the hospital Saturday night. The other officer was kept overnight for observation and was in stable condition, said Anne Smith, a spokeswoman for the city of La Vergne.
Their identities have not been released.
The police chief issued a statement Saturday confirming his son was the suspect in the shooting. Drake said he and his son had been estranged for many years with only minimal contact.
The younger Drake is a convicted felon who “resorted to years of criminal activity,” he said.
“He now needs to be found and held accountable for his actions today. I hope that anyone who sees him or has information about him will contact law enforcement immediately,” Drake said in the statement.
The Nashville police chief’s son is suspected in the shooting of two Tennessee officers. https://t.co/Qydy6zMF93 pic.twitter.com/g23kyvpwsW
— Action News 5 (@WMCActionNews5) October 22, 2023
Nashville has seen its national profile rise for all the wrong reasons in recent years.
In 2020, the city witnessed a Christmas Day explosion its downtown area. The bomber was killed in the explosion.
More recently, it was the home of the mass shooting at Covenant Christian School by a woman who lived as a man. The shooter, identified as Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old former student at the school, killed three students and three staffers before dying at the scene.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a social media post that a statewide alert had been issued for Drake, who was wanted on two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Smith said about a dozen law enforcement agencies are involved in the search.
After the shooting, the La Vergne police issued a shelter-in-place order for residents in the city. The shelter order was later lifted while the search for Drake continued, the department said in a social media post.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell issued a statement in support of the police chief.
“My heart goes out to Chief Drake, his family, and the two wounded La Vergne police officers. I know that despite our best efforts — including in their early years — we can’t be responsible for the choices of family members,” O’Connell said.
“I support Chief Drake and stand by him at this difficult time.”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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