Who was John Drake Jr.? Nashville Police Chief’s son, wanted in two shootings, dies in self-inflicted gunshot

John Drake Jr., the estranged son of the Nashville police chief and a suspect in the shooting of two police officers outside a Dollar General store in La Vergne, Tennessee, has been found dead, officials announced on Tuesday evening.

Who was John Drake Jr.?

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported that John Drake Jr. appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Nashville.

The incident began when officers in La Vergne, located approximately 20 miles southeast of Nashville, were investigating a stolen vehicle. They confronted John Drake Jr., who, according to the police, opened fire on the two officers with a handgun, injuring one in the shoulder and the other in the groin and forearm before fleeing the scene.

A shelter-in-place order was issued as authorities launched a search for Mr. Drake, which was later lifted on Saturday night.

On Saturday, Chief John Drake of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released a statement revealing that the suspect in the shooting was his son. He acknowledged that he had very limited contact with his son over the years and expressed his disappointment over John Drake Jr.’s criminal activities and status as a convicted felon. Chief Drake stressed the need for his son to be located and held accountable for his actions.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had issued a warrant for John Drake Jr.’s arrest on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his capture.

The injured officers, Ashley Boleyjack and Gregory Kern, were recuperating at home after receiving medical treatment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Chief Christopher Moews of the La Vergne Police Department conveyed this information in a Facebook video, adding that the La Vergne community could now breathe a sigh of relief as the manhunt for John Drake Jr. had concluded.