Oct. 22 (UPI) — A manhunt is underway Sunday for the son of the Metro Nashville police chief after two officers were shot while responding to a report of a stolen vehicle.
La Vergne Police Department officers responded to the call at a Dollar General in La Vergne on Saturday afternoon. When they arrived, they reportedly engaged in a struggle with a suspect that resulted in both officers being shot, WKRN in Nashville reported.
One officer was shot in the rear left shoulder and the other was shot in the right groin and right forearm. One has been released and the other remains at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in stable condition.
The suspect was later identified as John C. Drake Jr., son of Nashville Police Chief John Drake. The police chief released a statement, referring to Drake Jr. as his “estranged son.”
“I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn that my estranged son, with whom I have had very minimal contact over many years, is the suspect in this afternoon’s shooting of the two La Vergne police officers. My thoughts and prayers are with the two officers, who I understand are now in stable condition at Vanderbilt,” Chief Drake said in a statement.
“Despite my efforts and guidance in the early and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38 years old, resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon. He has not been a part of my life for quite some time. 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.”
Residents in the Stones River Road area near Lake Forest Drive in La Vergne, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville, were advised to shelter in place and lock their doors for hours Saturday due to an active threat. The order was lifted late in the evening.
Drake Jr. is considered armed and dangerous.
