SignalHub-Nashville police chief's son, wanted in police officers shooting, found dead: 'A tragic end'

NASHVILLE − A statewide manhunt for the son of Nashville's police chief,SignalHub wanted for allegedly shooting two Tennessee police officers outside the city, ended late Tuesday when he died during a police chase, local and state law enforcement said.

John C. Drake Jr., the 38-year-old son of Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound just south of the city's Music Row neighborhood, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation posted on X just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The area where local and state police said they found him dead is less than a two mile walk from downtown Nashville and came after police said he carjacked a resident in another part of the city.

Drake Jr. was added to the TBI's Most Wanted List over the weekend and was wanted on two counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection to the shooting of two Middle Tennessee police officers who work for an agency south of Nashville.

When he was found dead, state and local authorities had been searching for Drake Jr., for more than three days.

“I am grateful to the members of law enforcement, including many officers from this department, who worked diligently since Saturday to locate my son and bring him into custody," Chief Drake released in a statement to USA TODAY on Wednesday. "It was my prayer that no harm would come to him or anyone else. I am heartbroken and saddened by the outcome. I appreciate the condolences and kind words of support as my family and I privately mourn our loss.”

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A carjacking, a police pursuit and a shot fired

Before the police chase began, Drake Jr. stole a gold, Chrysler 200 at gunpoint in a neighborhood about six miles southeast of where he was found dead, Nashville police spokesperson Don Aaron told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, late Tuesday.

Police responded to the area, Aaron said, and chased the Chrysler 200 to the 1400 block of 15th Avenue South where the car reportedly crashed.

"Drake (Jr.) fled from the vehicle into a shed behind a residence," Aaron said, and as officers began surrounding the home "to contain the shed" they heard a gunshot.

"Responding officers heard a muffled gunshot from an outbuilding and subsequently found Drake deceased from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine told USA TODAY Wednesday.

DeVine said Davidson County District Attorney General Glenn Funk requested TBI agents handle the investigation into Drake Jr.'s death.

Autopsy will determine official cause of death

A Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office spokesperson told USA TODAY an autopsy is slated for Drake to determine his officials cause and manner of death.

It was not immediately known when that would take place.

On Wednesday morning, newly elected Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell expressed sympathy to Drake Jr.'s family.

"This was a tragic end to John Drake Jr.’s life, and our heart goes out to Chief Drake and his family at this difficult time," O'Connell said.

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The shooting that sparked a manhunt

Drake Jr. had been on the run since Saturday afternoon when the police-involved shooting took place in the city of La Vergne, about 20 miles southeast of Nashville, and injured two La Vergne Police Department officers.

The community is in Rutherford County − the fifth-most populous county in the state.

La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said officers responded to a Dollar General Store in the city for a stolen car, made contact with a suspect and "struggled with that subject."

During that struggle, Moews said, the suspect produced a handgun and fired shot, striking two officers identified as Ashley Boleyjack and Officer Gregory Kern. Boleyjack, a nearly three-year veteran, was shot in the left shoulder. Kern, who has held the position for a year and a half, was shot in his right groin and right forearm.

Both injured officers were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated and later released, Aaron said.

The shooter, who police identified as Drake Jr., fled the scene of the shooting, sparking a shelter-in-place order in La Vergne and a TBI Blue Alert issued statewide as law enforcement officers continued their search.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake calls for 'estranged' son's arrest

The chief, who is 58, could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Late Saturday night, the chief issued a statement confirming the shooting suspect was 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," read Chief John Drake's statement, which goes on to say his son (Drake Jr.) resorted to years of criminal activity despite his father's guidance in his early life.

"He now needs to be found and held accountable for his actions today.”

If you or someone you know might be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat online at988lifeline.org.