MT. JULIET, Tennessee – Mt. Juliet police arrested an 18-year-old Nashville woman Wednesday morning after a pursuit of a stolen BMW that officers say was tied to a November 8 incident in which suspects fired shots at a man who confronted them during vehicle burglaries.
The victim in that incident was not hit by gunfire, according to the Mt. Juliet Police Department. Police did not name the nearby Middle Tennessee community where it happened.
License plate reader flags the car
At about 4:55 a.m., the department’s Guardian Shield license plate reader system alerted officers to a plate tied to the vehicle. The alert showed the car leaving Interstate 40 onto Golden Bear Gateway in Mt. Juliet.
Officers set up a pursuit prevention plan and searched the area. Within eight minutes, they found the car leaving a warehouse property on Golden Bear Gateway.
Driver flees onto I-40
The driver ran when officers tried to stop the car. An officer used tire deflation devices and damaged the vehicle’s tires.
The driver kept going onto I-40 toward Nashville, then exited onto Old Hickory Boulevard and lost control near Granwood Drive. Police said both people inside were detained without further incident.
Car stolen from Nashville
Investigators determined the 2009 BMW was stolen November 1 from Gallop Lane in Nashville. The owner had left the keys inside. Police said multiple vehicle burglaries were also reported in that area around the time of the theft.
The driver, who police said did not have a driver’s license, was arrested on charges related to possession of the stolen vehicle, felony evading arrest and driving without a license. The passenger was not arrested.
The investigation is still open. Mt. Juliet detectives are working with neighboring law enforcement agencies to determine whether the car connects to other crimes across the Nashville region.
The department said the case shows the value of proactive policing, technology and coordination among officers. In its statement, police said “criminal activity doesn’t stop at city limits.”
The city has posted information on the safeguards, laws, policies and privacy protections that govern its license plate readers on the Mt. Juliet city website.
