(Reuters) – State investigators announced that John Drake Jr., the estranged son of Nashville’s police chief and who was wanted for shooting two police officers, died from a self-inflicted gun wound as authorities closed in on him. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s “most wanted” list included the 38-year-old Drake Jr., whose lifeless body was discovered in south Nashville on Tuesday night, according to the bureau’s written statement on Tuesday.
Drake Jr., who is the son of Nashville Police Chief John Drake, had been evading authorities since allegedly shooting and injuring two La Vergne, Tennessee, police officers who had pulled him over on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle. Both officers received medical treatment and were released from the hospital.
On Tuesday evening, Nashville police officers responded to reports indicating that Drake Jr. had purportedly stolen a car at gunpoint. Subsequently, a brief car chase occurred, resulting in Drake Jr. crashing into a parked vehicle. He then fled the stolen car and sought refuge in a shed. As officers approached, they heard a muffled gunshot originating from the shed and discovered Drake Jr. deceased.
“I am heartbroken and saddened by the outcome,” stated Police Chief Drake in a written statement on Wednesday. “I am grateful for the diligent work of the law enforcement members, including many officers from this department, who have been relentlessly searching for my son since Saturday.”
The elder Drake disclosed in a statement on Saturday that he had not seen his son in several years. He further mentioned that despite his efforts to guide Drake Jr., his son had “engaged in years of criminal activity and holds a felony conviction.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has commenced an inquiry into Drake Jr.’s demise.
Reporting by Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado; Editing by Rod Nickel
