Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Detectives are attempting to identify a man who fraudulently used a credit card that was stolen after the victim left it behind at a gas station. The suspect used the stolen card to make purchases at Target and Best Buy in Mt. Juliet on March 22, 2020. Surveillance video confirmed who used the stolen card, which is an unknown adult male.
Detectives hope someone in the community will recognize the suspect from the surveillance video so they can be apprehended.
Anyone with any information regarding this crime is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Two suspects, opening a line of credit in someone else’s name, stole over $17,000 in jewelry from a local jewelry store back in January and February. Both suspects targeted Kay Jewelers, at 401 S. Mt. Juliet Road, where one male and one female went in separately to fraudulently purchase jewelry using someone else’s identity under their line of credit.
The male suspect walked away with a $10,000 gold necklace and $500 watch, and the female left with a $6,000 diamond ring and $600 gold necklace.
Detectives hope someone in the community will recognize the suspects from the surveillance video so they can be apprehended.
Anyone with any information regarding these crimes is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/.
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Since birthday parties or large gatherings are strongly discouraged under the Safer-at-Home COVID-19 precaution order, Mt. Juliet Police still want to ensure elementary school-aged children have a special birthday. During these unprecedented times, children with birthdays are missing out on opportunities to celebrate their birthday with a group of fellow friends and family. So, Mt. Juliet police officers still want to ensure their birthday is celebrated, taking stress off the child, and plan to visit children on or near their birthday to wish them a happy birthday. Of course, physical distancing guidelines will be followed, and officers will maintain the proper, safe distance. Still, officers will show up curbside, flash their blue lights, play “Happy Birthday” over the loudspeaker, and provide a small gift to the child who is celebrating their birthday.
Residents who reside in the city limits of Mt. Juliet, with an elementary school-aged child who has a birthday during the COVID-19 physical distancing period, are eligible for this opportunity. Parents or Guardians who want to arrange a visit for their little one should complete the following form to be contacted by a staff member, who will arrange the visit.
Williamson County – An off-duty Mt. Juliet police officer, who graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy this week, intervened to help a person in a mental crisis on the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge while he was riding motorcycles with his father. Around 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, Officer Jordan Brown noticed an adult female, standing in the middle of the bridge over Highway 96, gripping the guardrail and looking out over the edge.
Brown immediately stopped his motorcycle and engaged in conversation with the female, where he spoke with her for some time. He discovered she was undergoing a mental crisis and was contemplating suicide. Brown continued to talk with her and persuaded her to walk away from the edge. Brown then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and together, they walked off the bridge to safety. Brown’s father, who was riding with him, did not realize Officer Brown stopped his motorcycle to assist the female, and he later witnessed him walking her to safety.
The female’s presence on the bridge was reported to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, who dispatched a deputy to the scene. Brown spotted the deputy and flagged him down, where the deputy ensured the female received further care for her well-being.
“Jordan graduated the police academy this week, and he is already a shining example of the work police officers do to save lives,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “I’m grateful that he was placed in that moment so he could intervene to help a fellow human being in distress.”
Officer Jordan Brown & Chief James Hambrick
Suicide affects everyone, and many in our community have likely been impacted in some way by suicide. Everyone has their demons and have felt backed into the corner at some point.
If anyone is feeling tired or backed into the corner and needs some help, they are encouraged to reach out. The department’s dispatchers, police officers, and medical responders are amazing, compassionate professionals who care about everyone and life.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline- 1 (800) 273-8255
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers intercepted a wanted person, driving a stolen car, after the department’s Guardian Shield ALPR alerted on a plate associated with the stolen car. Around 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2020, officers began to look for a black, 2019 Ford Escape after Guardian Shield alerted on the tag as it crossed through the N. Mt. Juliet Road and Lebanon Road intersection. The vehicle was intercepted by officers on Mt. Juliet Road near Old Lebanon Dirt Road, and after it stopped in the Valley Center parking lot, suspects ran from the SUV. They were quickly apprehended, and two suspects were charged.
Further investigation revealed the car was reported stolen out of Lebanon on February 28, 2020. 34-year-old Michael Cousino of Watertown was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Theft of Property, Evading Arrest, and Driving Without a License. 36-year-old Julia Ash of Lebanon was also arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Theft of Property and Evading Arrest.
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The barricaded person incident on Ridgecrest Drive, ended peacefully. Around 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, officers were summoned to a home on Ridgecrest Dr to investigate an aggravated domestic assault, where the victim was punched and struck with a chair. When officers encountered the suspect, 33-year-old Brendan Negron, he advised officers he was not coming out of the house.
Mt. Juliet’s Crisis Negotiators, Special Response Team members, and a Critical Incident Management Team responded to the scene to resolve the incident and take Negron into custody on an aggravated assault warrant. Crisis Negotiators continued communications with Negron for an extended time to get him to surrender. During the event, the Special Response Team entered the home, and Negron surrendered to them around 2:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2020.
He was booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Aggravated Assault.
A booking photo was not available at the time of this release.
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet Police is currently on-scene of a barricaded person situation on Ridgecrest Drive, between E. Hill St and E. Caldwell St.
Around 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, officers were summoned to a home on Ridgecrest Dr to investigate an aggravated domestic assault, where the victim was able to leave the home. The suspect advised officers he was not coming out of the home.
Adjacent neighbors are aware of the situation as a safety precaution. Ridgecrest Drive is currently closed while the situation is on-going. Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiators are on the scene and working to peacefully resolve the situation.
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers intercepted a wanted person, driving a stolen car, after the department’s Guardian Shield ALPR alerted on a plate associated with the stolen car. Around 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2020, officers began to look for a silver 1997 Mazda 626 after Guardian Shield alerted on the tag as it crossed through the N. Mt. Juliet Road and Interstate 40 interchange. The vehicle was intercepted by officers in the Arby’s parking lot, and the driver, 25-year-old Andrea Ledbetter of Maryville, was found to be wanted by the Blount County Sherriff’s Office for multiple felony, drug-related warrants. Ledbetter was also in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Andrea Ledbetter, 25, of Maryville
Further investigation revealed the car was reported stolen out of Athens, about 154 miles away from Mt. Juliet, on March 15, 2020. Ledbetter was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Theft of Property, Simple Possession of Methamphetamine, and Drug Paraphernalia.
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The safety and well-being of those who live, work, and visit the Mt. Juliet community is the utmost concern of the police department. To continue to provide essential police services to the community, the department has taken the following steps to protect those we serve and our staff:
All Mt. Juliet Police sponsored public events, municipal adult court, municipal juvenile court, and traffic school are postponed until at least April 10, 2020. A member of the police department will contact those who have been scheduled for the postponed events and court dates.
The citizen ride-along program has been suspended until further notice.
Community members who need to report past-occurred crimes, or other crimes which they were inclined to visit police headquarters in-person to report, should call the police department at 615-754-2550 to determine if an officer can assist over the phone, instead of in person.
If a community member is experiencing an emergency, they should dial 911 and an officer will respond to assist. However, for some non-emergency situations, an officer may be able to help via the phone, or community members can file an online report for specific incidents such as lost property, destruction of property, civil disputes, financial crimes, theft, alcohol violations, or harassing calls/emails. Officers will continue to respond to in-progress incidents, any incident that requires evidence processing, and incidents requiring immediate police intervention.
Community members can use the Mt. Juliet Police Department’s website at www.mjpd.org to access the Online Reporting System and follow the detailed instructions to see if their incident is reportable online. If anyone has any questions about filing an online report, or if online reporting is not appropriate for their situation, they should contact the police department at 615-754-2550 for assistance.
The department’s records and court clerk office will be closed to the public until further notice. If anyone needs a copy of a report, please call 615-754-2550 or visit the department’s website at www.mjpd.org. Staff members will make arrangements to mail or email the report.
All citation payment due dates have been placed on hold until further notice. Those who have due dates during the hold period should not worry. All in-person citation processing has ceased, and those affected will have an opportunity to satisfy their citation at a later date. Those who wish to pay online can continue to do so.
If anyone calls 911 for an emergency, or the non-emergency dispatch number, 615-754-2550, they should understand that the communication dispatchers have been instructed to ask additional questions regarding possible Coronavirus exposure factors for certain instances.
Also, officers have been instructed to take the following precautions when interacting with community members on calls for service, for both the protection of the person(s) they are assisting, as well as for the officer’s themselves:Wear protective equipment such as latex gloves and protective masks if an officer suspects an individual is exhibiting signs of illness or has been in contact with a suspected Coronavirus patient.Ask additional questions regarding the health of an individual, including possible recent travels or other personal contacts.
Limit unnecessary physical contact with non-arrestees, such as avoiding handshakes, and respect a larger social distancing space of ideally six feet.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do our part in reducing the spread of diseases and illnesses. Since we know the COVID-19 (coronavirus) is thought to be spread mainly from person to person, the department continues to stay consistent with many entities, both locally and nationally, as new information and guidelines flow in, stated Chief James Hambrick. “Even though there have been many impacts by the recent tornado and, now, precautions for the coronavirus, the Mt. Juliet Police Department family continues to work hard to keep our community safe. I’m grateful of everyone for the amazing work each continue to do!”
These measures are only taken out of an abundance of caution for the community we serve. For our staff members to adequately provide the level of service to the community it expects, we need to take into account both the health of the community and our staff members.
These are important reminders on how you can protect your health:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home if you feel ill.
Call your healthcare professional if you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing and have been in close contact with a person known to have confirmed coronavirus.
Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Although the Tennessee Department of Health is the lead agency responsible for public health, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do our part in reducing the spread of diseases and illnesses. Since we know the COVID-19 (coronavirus) is thought to be spread mainly from person to person, the department has decided to stay consistent with many entities, both locally and nationally, by postponing all Mt. Juliet Police sponsored public events, municipal adult court, municipal juvenile court, and traffic school until at least April 10, 2020. Those who have been scheduled for the affected events and court dates will be contacted by a member of the police department.
The department will focus its resources on the safety and security of the Mt. Juliet community and police staff members. These are important reminders on how you can protect your health:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home if you feel ill.
Call your healthcare professional if you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing and have been in close contact with a person known to have confirmed coronavirus.
“By remaining calm and working together, our community will overcome any challenge presented by the COVID-19 national health emergency,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “The safety of the Mt. Juliet community is my highest priority, and I must ensure our staff members remain healthy to keep our community safe.”
