The estranged son of Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake was placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list this week for allegedly shooting and killing two La Vergne police officers. The manhunt for a convicted rapist ended Tuesday night with a “muffled gunshot.”
Blaze News previously reported that La Vergne police were investigating a report of a possible stolen vehicle when they encountered 38-year-old John C. Drake Jr. outside Dollar General. LVPD indicated that after a brief struggle, Drake pulled out a handgun, shot officers Ashley Beaulyjack and Gregory Kahn, and fled the scene.
Both officers were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and later released.
After the shooting, LVPD advised residents to shelter in place, and the TBI issued a statewide Blue Alert, stating that Drake was “armed and extremely dangerous.”
The shooting wasn’t the only reason to suspect Drake posed a threat to the public.he had
extensive criminal historyHe has faced about 60 criminal charges in Davidson County since 2005. He had been convicted of numerous crimes, including aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, rape, multiple sex offender registration violations, and felony strangulation.
“Despite my efforts and guidance throughout his childhood and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38, has engaged in years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon,” Chief Drake said Saturday. …He needs to do that now.” His actions today will be discovered and held accountable. ”
A multi-day search culminated in an intense chase Tuesday night.
Metro Nashville Police Department
shown On Tuesday around 6 p.m., John C. Drake allegedly stole a 2013 gold Chrysler 200 sedan at gunpoint. He initially approached a man outside a housing complex in the 100 block of Antioch Pike and asked for a ride. When the man told his rapist he wasn’t driving, Drake glanced at his neighbor sitting in his sedan.
Police said Drake opened the door of the Chrysler and asked the passenger, a 23-year-old woman, for a ride. When she refused, claiming she was out of gas, Drake brandished a pistol and ordered her to get out of her car. He commandeered a car and drove onto Nolensville Pike.
After MNPD investigators spotted the vehicle at Thompson Place on Patricia Drive, ground forces with MNPD air support rushed to apprehend the suspect.
The street pursuit ended at 8:01 p.m. when Drake crashed into a parked vehicle on Villa Place. With ground troops hot on his tail and an MNPD helicopter overhead, Drake fled toward it. He bolted through multiple yards and attempted to hide in a shed in the backyard of a home in the 1400 block of 15th Avenue South.
With nowhere to run and police surrounding the property, Drake is believed to have put a gun to his head.
traumatic brain injury
I got it. Responding officers heard muffled gunshots coming from an outbuilding and then found Drake dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Unlike La Vergne police officers Ashley Bouleyjack and Gregory Kahn, Drake did not survive the shooting.
“I prayed that no harm came to him or anyone else. I am heartbroken and saddened by this outcome,” Chief John Drake said.
Said In a statement. “We appreciate your condolences and kind words of support as our family and I personally mourn our loss.”
The MNPD chief added, “I am grateful to the members of law enforcement, including the many officers in this department, who worked diligently since Saturday to locate and take my son into custody.”
Traumatic brain injury investigators will investigate the rapist’s death and conduct a full autopsy at the request of 20th Judicial District Attorney General Glenn Funk.
LVPD Chief Christopher Morse released a statement Tuesday.
saying“The La Vergne community and our heroic police officers can rest easy tonight knowing the search for John Drake Jr. is over. Congratulations to all the officers involved in tonight’s pursuit. I would like to thank you for your tenacity and dedication to this case.” ”
“Our prayers are with Chief Drake and his family,” Mouse added.
The LVPD chief also said the two officers who were shot are currently recovering from their injuries at home. He emphasized that the assistance provided by the La Verge Fire Department to the downed officers after the shooting saved lives.
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