LA VERGNE, TN – Tennessee officials have activated a Blue Alert to aid in the search for an individual accused of injuring two police officers in a shooting incident near a Dollar General store this past Saturday.
John C. Drake, Jr., 38 years old, is facing two charges of attempted first-degree murder. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has disseminated this alert to alert the public of an individual responsible for causing severe harm to or killing a law enforcement officer. The bureau’s declaration came with a revelation; John C. Drake, Jr. is the estranged son of Metropolitan Nashville’s Police Chief, John Drake.
A deeply troubled Chief Drake expressed his astonishment and heartbreak, revealing that his relationship with his son has been distant for many years. “Learning of my son’s involvement in the La Vergne police officers’ shooting has been heart-wrenching,” Chief Drake mentioned. “I fervently hope for the recovery of the injured officers, currently recuperating at Vanderbilt, and I urge the community to aid in bringing John to justice.”
This shooting ensued when La Vergne police officers were investigating a potentially stolen vehicle. La Vergne Police Chief Chris Moews detailed the event, describing how the confrontation quickly escalated, leading to John C. Drake, Jr. brandishing a firearm and subsequently shooting the officers. The injuries sustained were serious, with one officer wounded in the left shoulder and the other sustaining injuries to his right groin and forearm. Both are now stable.
Chief Drake, reflecting on his son’s troubled past, stated, “In spite of my early efforts, John chose a life of crime. It has been years since he has been part of my life. His actions today demonstrate the urgent need for his capture and for justice to prevail.”
John C. Drake, Jr. is described as being 5-foot-11, muscular, sporting facial hair and dreadlocks. He was last observed donning a black tee featuring a white hockey mask design, accompanied by gray trousers. His last known location was driving on Stones River Road, La Vergne. Authorities, after initially recommending residents of the Lake Forest community to remain indoors, lifted the shelter-in-place directive by midnight, assuring residents of no immediate peril but urging continued vigilance.