A man accused in taking part in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) officer in Putnam County had a history of violent crime, according to court records.
Braze Rucker was charged with a litany of crimes committed during a robbery attempt in Nashville in 2013. The charges stemmed from a robbery in which Rucker shot one person, leaving her paralyzed.
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A search by multiple law enforcement entities ended in the capture of two jail escapees who were on the run over the weekend.
“Sheriff Joyce McConnell would like to thank her staff for the long hours that they put in for capturing the two escapees,” said a Sunday Facebook post from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. “Sheriff McConnell would also like to thank Ruthford [sic] County Sheriff’s Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and Tennessee Highway Patrol for their help with the capture of the two escapees!! Great job to all agencies!!”
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The mayor of Clarksville Monday told The Tennessee Star that his city is receiving help from the state and local levels after several deadly tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee over the weekend.
“The Governor and Mrs. Lee, along with TEMA were on the ground with us yesterday,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts told The Star Monday. “The White House reached out to me and offered any help we needed. So, yes, state and federal government have been helpful.”
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Amid an intense recruiting effort spearheaded by Gov. Bill Lee (R), Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announced Thursday that nearly 40 cadets graduated from training and will join THP.
The 38 graduates participated in either the regular 17-week trooper cadet class or an 11-week lateral trooper cadet class.
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This week, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDSOHS), Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), and Tennessee Highway Safety Office joined multiple law enforcement partners in announcing the Tennessee Interstate Challenge traffic safety initiative for this year’s Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) announced on Monday that he ordered an increased Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) presence on highways and interstates in Shelby County to help contend with the criminal element in Memphis.
Lee issued a press release unveiling “a surge of approximately 40 additional troopers” beginning this week. On November 27, wrote Lee’s office, “an additional 15-20 troopers from other districts across the state will join the surge” and remain in Shelby County “for the foreseeable future.”
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A Republican state senator penned a two-page letter to Gov. Bill Lee (R) asking for state assistance to deal with Memphis’ recent crime surge.
Recounting recent spates of violence, many of which have been reported by The Tennessee Star, State Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said:
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The Memphis Police Department (MPD) says it has no leads following a viral video of two men driving a car erratically on the interstate over the weekend, stopping traffic.
The video has been circulating the internet since it was posted by KWAM Radio in Memphis on Sunday night. At least one person stood in the highway filming the incident.
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The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) announced Sunday that a 20-year old Smyrna man was arrested and charged over the weekend for “dangerously sliding around a group of people” in South Nashville during a street race.
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Gov. Bill Lee (R) is once again touting the benefits of becoming a law enforcement officer in Tennessee, as he attempts to recruit out-of-staters to join the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
“Law enforcement officers from across the country recognize that there’s no better place to work, live and raise a family than Tennessee,” Lee said in statement. “Over the past two years, we’ve recruited a record number of troopers to Tennessee’s ranks, and we continue to welcome men and women nationwide to join the Tennessee Highway Patrol.”
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Members of law enforcement agencies near Rutherford County are paying tribute to and honoring a fallen detective.
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On Thursday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced efforts to recruit out of state law enforcement to the Tennessee Highway Patrol have “netted early results as the administration focuses on proven crime prevention methods and addressing law enforcement staff shortages.”
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Nine law enforcement officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man Thursday afternoon on I-65 northbound, near Harding Place. Members of the Nashville Metro Police Department (MNPD) did not release the man’s name Thursday, pending next of kin notification.
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The Memphis Police Department (MPD) Friday is mourning the loss of an officer who died in a car crash while on duty.
“Memphis police officers and a citizen collided in this intersection, and at this particular time, we’ve got the Tennessee Highway Patrol that’s out here that is taking control of this investigation,” Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said in a press conference from the scene of the crash Thursday.
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The protests at the state capitol have forced the Tennessee Highway Patrol to spend nearly $900,000 in overtime costs.
And that’s just between May 31, around the time the protests started, up until June 30.
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Authorities have released left-wing activist Justin Jones from the Davidson County Jail after Tennessee Highway Patrol officers arrested him and several other activists at Legislative Plaza.
As reported, Jones and several of those activists have taken turns occupying that space for weeks as they demand a meeting with Gov. Bill Lee.
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Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – guest host Ben Cunningham welcomed Kevin and Laura Baigert to the studio.
During the third hour, Cunningham and the Baigerts discussed the protesters at Legislative Plaza who broke their deal with the Tennessee Highway Patrol yet manage to be fawned over by media outlets. The Baigerts added that there is now a large class of people whose job is of political theater by provoking the police and manipulating the news media.
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The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announced Tuesday night that it removed protesters’ extra equipment from the Legislative Plaza after these individuals failed to comply with an agreement made between the two sides.
These protesters have been camping out at the plaza for the last 12 nights. In a makeshift CHOP, these demonstrators renamed the plaza the Ida B. Wells Plaza, who was an early civil rights leader.
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Activist Justin Jones led a group of protesters in trying to force their way into the State Capitol building Monday.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol blocked their way, NewsChannel 5 reported. One woman was detained. They were told they could not enter due to COVID-19 precautions.
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The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) arrested 20 men and women in Memphis this week for using fraudulent identification documents to get jobs at Expeditors International. Homeland Security Investigations worked with THP on the case, said Thomas Byrd, a spokesman for U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “It’s a state level investigation and we assisted,” Byrd told The Tennessee Star. “We did not detain anyone. Everyone arrested was detained by THP.” Expeditors International is a global logistics company headquartered in Seattle. The individuals arrested were trying to land jobs with a temp agency that contracts with Expeditors, reports WREG News Channel 3. They were arrested Tuesday morning at the company’s Hickory Hill warehouse and charged with forgery and criminal simulation. Expeditors issued a statement indicating its willingness to cooperate with authorities. Those arrested presented fraudulent permanent resident and social security cards as well as Tennessee driver’s licenses, according to a THP news release. The immigration activist group Latino Memphis raised questions about the arrests as details were unfolding. “It’s a reality that immigrants have to find documentation to work,” Mauricio Calvo, the group’s executive director, told WREG. “It’s ironic that working is a crime.” But THP Colonel Tracy Trott said that…
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