The Nashville police chief’s estranged son who was on the run after shooting to police officers was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday night after a high-speed car chase.
John C. Drake Jr, 38, took out his gun and shot two police officers Saturday afternoon in La Vergne outside a Dollar General store while they were investigating a stolen vehicle report.
Both officers were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition; one officer was released on Saturday and the other was kept overnight.
A manhunt was underway after Drake, who was facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder, evaded law enforcement all week. He was considered armed and dangerous.
Drake stole a vehicle from a couple at gunpoint on Tuesday and a police chase ensued. Officers pursued him and surrounded a shed when they heard a gunshot. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake, the father of the deceased assailant, thanked law enforcement for working diligently to locate his son and bring him into custody.
Chief Drake has issued this statement concerning Tuesday night’s death of his son, John Drake, Jr., age 38. pic.twitter.com/9hx4RM3f8z
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) October 25, 2023
CNN reported:
The Nashville police chief’s son, who was wanted in the shooting of two officers, was found dead Tuesday night after leading police on a car chase, authorities said.
John Drake Jr., 38, was being sought on two counts of attempted first-degree murder after a shooting that injured the police officers during a struggle Saturday night in La Vergne, a suburb of Nashville.
Drake resurfaced Tuesday, when he stole a car from a couple at gunpoint after they wouldn’t give him a ride, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron said.
When officers spotted him in the stolen car, Drake led them on a pursuit, Aaron said. The car crashed and Drake got out and fled into a shed behind a home near downtown Nashville, Aaron added.
“While the officers were surrounding the residence to contain the shed, a gunshot was heard and it appears that he has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Aaron said.
