Nashville Police Chief’s Son Wanted in Shooting of 2 Officers Found Dead After 3-Day Manhunt

The Nashville police chief’s son, who was wanted in the shooting of two officers, was found dead on Tuesday night after a three-day manhunt.

John Drake Jr., 38, — son of Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake — was a suspect in a shooting that left two police officers wounded outside a Dollar General on Saturday, according to WKRN, WSMV and CNN.

As reported by CNN, Drake Jr. led police on a car chase on Tuesday after resurfacing following Saturday’s shooting in La Vergne.

According to Metropolitan Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron, Drake Jr. stole a car from a couple at gunpoint after they wouldn’t give him a ride.

He was then spotted by officers, and led them on a pursuit, but the car he was driving crashed and Drake Jr. fled the vehicle, and then went into a shed behind a home near downtown Nashville.

“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, per CNN.

In a statement shared Tuesday evening on Facebook, La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said, in part, “The La Vergne community and our heroic officers can rest easy tonight knowing that the manhunt for John Drake Jr. is over.”

Moews also confirmed that the officers hurt during the shooting “are at home recovering from their injuries and they surrounded by their loved ones,” in a video shared on the La Vergne Police Department’s Facebook page.

The injured officers had earlier been identified as Ashley Boleyjack and Gregory Kern, as reported by NBC affiliate WSMV of Nashville. They were taken to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to CNN, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will investigate Drake Jr.’s death at the request of Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk.

On Saturday, a statewide blue alert was issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for Drake Jr., who was was wanted as a suspect on two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Authorities said Drake was on the run after shooting shooting the officers, who were investigating a stolen vehicle. One officer was struck in the left shoulder and the other was struck in the right forearm and groin.

Following Saturday’s shooting, Chief John Drake shared a statement about his estranged son.

“I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn that my estranged son, with whom I have had very minimal contact over many years, is the suspect in this afternoon’s shooting of the two La Vergne police officers,” the statement read. “My thoughts and prayers are with the two officers, who I understand are now in stable condition at Vanderbilt.

“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. 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. I hope that anyone who sees him or has information about him will contact law enforcement immediately.”