The son of Nashville’s police chief has been found dead after three days on the run in the wake of the shooting of two police officers over the weekend.
John C. Drake, Jr., 38, the son of Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake, was accused of shooting two police officers in La Vergne, Tennessee, roughly 20 miles southeast of Nashville, on Saturday. On Tuesday night, Drake Jr. was found dead from what authorities say is a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“After pursuing investigative leads in the search for [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] Most Wanted suspect John Drake, Jr., authorities responded to a location in the 1400 block of 15th Avenue South in Nashville [Tuesday night],” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said. “There, responding officers heard a muffled gunshot from an outbuilding and subsequently found Drake deceased from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
According to a spokesman for the police department, Drake Jr. stole a car from a couple at gunpoint on Tuesday after they refused to give him a ride, CNN reported. Police were able to locate Drake Jr. in the stolen vehicle, upon which the police chief’s son led the officers on a car chase. After crashing the car, Drake Jr. fled the scene and entered a shed near a home, where he reportedly killed himself.
“The La Vergne community and our heroic officers can rest easy tonight knowing that the manhunt for John Drake, Jr. is over.” La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said in a statement posted to X, thanking the officers involved in the pursuit for their “steadfastness and dedication.” Moews also said he was praying for Chief Drake and his family.
While investigating a suspected stolen vehicle outside of a Dollar General store in La Vergne, two La Vergne police officers, Ashely Boleyjack and Gregory Kern, were shot by Drake Jr, according to authorities. The officers initially struggled with the suspect, who pulled out a handgun and proceeded to fire several shots at the officers, Moews said at the time. After the shooting, Drake fled the scene in the car in question.
Both officers were hospitalized and have since been released.
Drake Jr. was placed on the TBI’s “Most Wanted” list on Sunday and was being sought on two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The bureau issued a statewide “Blue Alert” for him, which is used for locating violent criminals who kill or injure police officers in the line of duty. The TBI was offering up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.
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Chief Drake said in a statement after Drake Jr. fled the police on Saturday that his son was “estranged” and that he has had minimal contact with him in recent years. He added that he was “shocked and deeply saddened” to learn of the events and called for the arrest of his son.
“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,” the police chief said. “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.”
Since 2005, Drake Jr. had been criminally charged 59 times in Davidson County alone, which, as the New York Post notes, does not include La Vergne, located in neighboring Rutherford County. Drake Jr. had previously been charged with theft, burglary, possession of a controlled substance, and assault, among other offenses. He has been convicted of four separate sex offender violations, according to the Post.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.