Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Christmas Parade and Holiday Half Marathon & 5K will have traffic on N. Mt. Juliet Road tied up for most of the midday on Saturday, December 14, 2019. Starting at 10:45 a.m., Mt. Juliet Road will be closed entirely to traffic from Charlie Daniels Parkway to W. Wilson Middle School in preparation for the day’s events. Mt. Juliet’s residents and visitors should plan and be aware to avoid being caught up in traffic.

The Mt. Juliet Holiday Half Marathon begins near 10:45 a.m., just after the road closure, followed by the 5K at 10:55 a.m. The parade starts at 11:00 a.m. Spectators for the parade and races must be parked and off Mt. Juliet Road by 10:45 a.m. In the interest of public safety, parking is prohibited on any sidewalk or grassy area next to the sidewalk during the day.

The following are the traffic restrictions for 12/14/19:

• Mt. Juliet Road will be closed from Charlie Daniels Pkwy to Clearview Dr from 10:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Right northbound lane of N. Mt. Juliet Road will be closed from Clearview Dr to Old Mt. Juliet Rd (road behind Valley Center Shopping Center) from 10:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Right eastbound lane of Lebanon Rd will be closed from N. Mt. Juliet Road – Benders Ferry Rd from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Southbound lanes of Golden Bear Gateway will be closed from Lebanon Road to Rutland Drive from 11:20 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Westbound lane of E. Division St will be closed from Rutland Dr to Clemmons Rd from 11:40 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Old Lebanon Dirt Rd will be closed from Old Mt. Juliet Rd (road behind Valley Center Shopping Center) to E. Division St from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The goal of the Mt. Juliet Police Department is to make sure the safety of motorists, spectators, pedestrians, and participants. If you are attending the parade or races, the police department suggests that you arrive before the 10:45 a.m. street closures. This will allow plenty of time to find parking. If you are not attending the parade, you may want to avoid the Mt. Juliet Road corridor to reduce your frustration with the road closure and large volume of traffic.

Parade Information: Mt. Juliet Christmas Parade

Half Marathon & 5K Information: Mt. Juliet Holiday Half Marathon & 5K

Remember, after the parade, there will be a large amount of vehicle and pedestrian traffic along Mt. Juliet Road in the center of town. Take your time, and please be considerate. Typically, the traffic after the parade will clear out in about 30 minutes. It is estimated that the parade traffic will be clear around 1:30 p.m.

Follow Mt. Juliet Police on Twitter @MtJulietPolice for live and active information about the parade & races as they happen.

Overview of the parade start and participant drop-off site at West Wilson Middle School:

Overview of the parade ending and participant pick-up site at Mt. Juliet Middle School:

 

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet’s Retail Safety Initiative is currently underway, and officers will be providing extra attention in shopping areas during the holiday shopping season as part of Operation Safe Shopper. Beginning on Thanksgiving afternoon, Black Friday, and throughout the shopping season, more uniformed and undercover officers are now concentrated in and around Mt. Juliet’s Interstate 40 shopping destination. The initiative will run until Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Ultimately, the department wants residents and visitors to have a safe, enjoyable experience in and around Mt. Juliet’s shopping areas. The department will carry out:

• Increased patrols by uniformed officers
• Zero tolerance on shoplifting crimes, where offenders go straight to jail
• Mobile surveillance tower deployed in parking lots
• Undercover vehicles & officers blending in with the crowds

In addition, officers are monitoring traffic flow and traffic signals to ensure traffic is moving as best as possible. If any issues are discovered, officers will communicate with city traffic engineers so they can determine a quick solution.

 

Shopper Safety Tips:

• Report any suspicious or out-of-place behavior to police, immediately.
• Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
• Park in well-lighted spaces, lock car doors, and place packages out of sight in the trunk or under seats.
• Do not carry large amounts of cash; pay with a check or credit card if possible.
• Carry purses close to the body, not dangling by the straps.
• Put wallets in an inside coat or front pants pocket.
• Supervise children and teach them to go to a police officer or security guard if they get lost or separated.
• Take a holiday inventory. The holidays are an excellent time to take photos or videos of items in your home

Parking Lot Safety Tips:

• Always be aware of your surroundings.
• If shopping at night, park in well-lit areas.
• Never leave your vehicle unlocked.
• When walking to your vehicle, look prepared by having your keys in your hand, your purse and other packages close to you, and always be aware of what is around you.
• Never leave holiday packages or other valuable items visible inside your vehicle.
• If possible, shop with other and walk in groups. It is safer to have another person with you.
• If you see suspicious people or activity, go back into the store or to a populated area and contact the police immediately.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A request for proposal was released today by the City of Mt. Juliet Information Technology (I.T.) department to identify a vendor who will provide Mt. Juliet Police Department’s Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) camera program. When complete, the ALPR program will not be used for anything traffic enforcement related. It will solely alert Mt. Juliet Police officers on vehicles listed on a Hotlist or investigate crimes, such as criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, theft, dangerous drugs, or a wanted person. License plate data captured by the ALPR program can only be retained for 90 days per state law. However, the department will only keep data for 30 days per internal policy unless it is data associated with a criminal investigation.

“Ultimately, our department wants to protect our community from criminals who come into our city to victimize our residents and visitors, stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “Many of the criminals use stolen vehicles or vehicles that have been used in serious crimes as a mode of transportation to travel into our city. The ALPR program will alert us to their presence so they can be apprehended before victimizing someone in our community. We cannot nor do we have the desire to use the cameras for automated traffic enforcement to catch motorists running red lights or speeding.”

After the city allocated $100,000 in funding to support the program this fiscal year, beginning in July, the department and I.T. professionals began to evaluate the different technology associated with ALPR programs. During the process, 37 locations were identified throughout the city as potential locations for an ALPR camera so that the prospective vendor could provide an approximate cost for the overall program. Those locations were identified because they give the best possible coverage to protect the entire Mt. Juliet community.

The department tested a single ALPR site for around 60 days, which led to the discovery of stolen vehicles and wanted persons who were apprehended. In one instance, officers pursued a stolen vehicle that was occupied by four teenagers, back into Nashville before the pursuit was terminated due to dangerous speeds.

A vendor will be selected after proposals are received on December 17, 2019.

List of proposed locations:

Sites	Proposed Camera Location	Direction of camera
1	Nonaville Rd / Saundersville Rd	South
2	North Green Hill / at Green Hill High	South
3	North Green Hill / at Lebanon Rd	East
4	Lebanon Rd / Matterhorn	East
5	Lebanon Rd / Matterhorn	West
6	West Division St / County Line	East
7	West Division St / County Line	West
8	Old Lebanon Dirt Rd / County Line	East
9	Old Lebanon Dirt Rd / County Line	West
10	Central Pike / Chandler Rd	East
11	Central Pike / John Hagar Rd	East
12	Central Pike / Adams Lane	West
13	Central Pike / S. Mt. Juliet Rd	South
14	Central Pike / S. Mt. Juliet Rd	East
15	Central Pike / S. Mt. Juliet Rd	North
16	South Rutland Rd. / City Limits (South of Baird Farms Construction Entrance)	North
17	Central Pike / Walton’s Grove Subdivision	West
18	Posey Hill Rd / Beckwith Rd	West
19	Wilfong Pkwy / Beckwith Rd	South
20	Golden Bear / Rutland Dr	North
21	East Division / Golden Bear	West
22	East Division / Golden Bear	East
23	I-40 / North Mt. Juliet Rd	North
24	South Mt. Juliet Rd / Herschel Dr.	South
25	Belinda Parkway / Providence Trail	East
26	North Mt. Juliet Rd / Pleasant Grove Rd	North
27	North Mt. Juliet Rd / Pleasant Grove Rd	South
28	North Mt. Juliet Rd / West Division	North
29	North Mt. Juliet Rd / East Division	East
30	North Mt. Juliet Rd / East Division	South
31	North Mt. Juliet Rd. / West Division	West
32	North Mt. Juliet Rd. / Lebanon Rd	East
33	North Mt. Juliet Rd. / Lebanon Rd	South
34	North Mt Juliet Rd. / Lebanon Rd	West
35	Lebanon Rd / Terrace Hill Rd	East
36	Lebanon Rd / Terrace Hill Rd	West
37	Charlie Daniels Park Entrance	Entrance

A copy of the Request for Proposal can be found here: Request for Proposal.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – After fleeing a traffic stop, two suspects were ultimately apprehended after officers, deputies, and a K9 worked together to find them. Around 7:00 a.m. this morning, Officer Wentzell conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding along Lebanon Road near Springmont Drive. The vehicle occupants became uncooperative during the stop, and two adult men ran. Officer Wentzell stayed with the driver, 25-year-old Lakwannda Hughes of Hermitage, as other responding officers and Wilson County Sheriff’s deputies searched the Springmont area for the two fleeing suspects.

After the suspects’ descriptions were sent out through a Nixle text message and posted to social media, multiple sightings were reported. Deputies first apprehended 28-year-old Markist Jones of Nashville, who was attempting to hide under a shed.

Cpl. Barth and K9 Majlo arrived on the scene during the search, and Majlo led officers to 22-year-old Devonta Willis of Nashville hiding under a shed. Willis failed to come out from under the shed, and K9 Majlo apprehended him. During the apprehension, a handgun fell from Willis’s person. Willis was transported and released from a local hospital due to Majlo’s bite.

Further investigation revealed that Hughes was driving on a revoked driver’s license. Jones was wanted out of Metro-Nashville on six different warrants related to failure to appear and a felony probation violation. Willis was wanted out of Wilson County on a failure to appear.

All were arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail. Hughes charged with Driving on Revoked. Jones was charged with Evading Arrest, Resisting Arrest and Criminal Impersonation. Willis was charged with Evading Arrest, Resisting Arrest, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

The booking photo of Markist Jones was not available when originally posted.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Four officers, investigating a three-car crash involving an impaired driver on Interstate 40, avoided tragedy within moments of a patrol SUV being struck by a distracted driver. An adult male, suspected of impairment and detained in the back seat of the patrol SUV, was injured. Officers arrived on Interstate 40 East near the 228 mile-marker to investigate a three-car crash around 5:00 a.m. this morning. While investigating the three-car crash, an adult male was found to be driving on a revoked driver’s license and suspected of impairment. He was detained and placed in the back seat of a patrol SUV.

Officers continued to investigate the crash. Around 5:50 a.m., a driver failed to see the multiple patrol vehicles and struck one of the patrol SUVs, launching it within feet of officers and another patrol vehicle. Officers immediately began to render aid to the injured suspect and checked on the distracted driver. The suspect sustained serious injuries and was transported away by medics. The distracted driver did not require medical transport. No officers were injured.

“Motorists must always pay attention while driving. There are many distractions to a driver, but eyes must have a focus on the road ahead,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “Our prayers will be with the injured suspect, and we hope he recovers quickly.”

Per department protocol, a third-party law enforcement agency is always called to investigate any crash involving a department police vehicle. The Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to the scene, and Troopers are handling the crash investigation.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Detectives and staff with Mt. Juliet Animal Care and Control executed a search warrant to remove animals living in deplorable conditions. The warrant was completed this afternoon at a home in Greenhill Trailer Park after an investigation revealed that the animals’ welfare could be in danger.

Three dogs and one cat, appearing to be in very poor health, were removed from the home and immediately transported by Animal Care and Control to be evaluated and treated by a veterinarian.

The resident is cooperating with detectives, and the investigation is on-going.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Due to predicted heavy rain on Saturday, October 26, the event was rescheduled to Saturday, November 2. To further strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, Mt. Juliet Police will be hosting a community appreciation day, community chili cook-off, and open house. The event will be an excellent opportunity for residents to meet and talk with neighbors, friends, businesses, and members of the police department in a fun, friendly setting at police headquarters. The event will take place on Saturday, November 2, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Juliet Police Headquarters, located at 1019 Charlie Daniels Parkway. The event date was changed from October 26 to November 2 due to a poor weather forecast and predicted heavy rain.

 

Businesses, families, or a group of friends are encouraged to participate in the chili cook-off, and the public is invited to attend, eat chili, and check out police headquarters and equipment. There will be numerous displays of the Mt. Juliet Police Department’s resources and other law enforcement related equipment and technology.

Representatives for the department will be on-hand to conduct guided tours of police headquarters during the event. Also, a kids fun zone will be out on the department’s front lawn.

Those interested in participating in the Chili Cook-off can visit www.mjpdnews.org/chilicookoff for more details.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Safety will be a top priority for Mt. Juliet Police on Halloween, and additional officers are reporting for duty to patrol neighborhoods and interact with the community. Mt. Juliet’s neighborhoods will fill up with little witches, superheroes, goblins, and teenagers as they all focus on collecting many sweet treats. Parents should be prepared, and mindful of their child’s safety by following simple safety precautions. Officers on patrol will be proactively handing out reflective bracelets to trick-or-treaters to promote their visibility as pedestrians. The highest risk to a child during trick-or-treating is being struck by a vehicle.

Trick-or-treating will be observed in Mt. Juliet on Thursday, October 31, 2019. The Mt. Juliet Police Department recommends trick-or-treating to start at 5:00 p.m. and to stop by 9:00 p.m.

Through the afternoon and night, patrol staff levels and presence in neighborhoods will be increased. However, police need the help of residents to ensure Mt. Juliet’s streets can be as safe as possible. Any unsafe mischief or driving behavior should be reported to the police department immediately so it can be stopped. Also, police will be monitoring parking on city streets. Visitors and residents should be mindful of where they park, so the roadway is not blocked.

Children are twice more likely to be in a fatal pedestrian accident on Halloween than any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Parents should make sure their child’s costume is visible at night to motorists. There are several reasons why children are more likely to be hurt in pedestrian accidents, which include:

• They often choose to take the shortest route, which may mean darting out between parked cars then take the safer route of crossing at corners.
• They’re poor at evaluating potential traffic threats.
• They’re more likely to disregard their peripheral vision and are less attentive to their street surroundings.
• They tend to believe they’re indestructible and are more likely to take risks.
• They need to be told that some people driving cars will not slow down for them.
• They can’t cross streets as rapidly as adults.
• They may be distracted by other children’s costumes, behaviors, and home decorations.

Also, officers will be out monitoring sex offenders on Halloween. Under Tennessee law, any sex offender on parole or probation may not take part in any Halloween activity involving children. This activity would include leaving a porch light on, answering the door, or distributing candy. Parents may use the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s website at http://www.tbi.tn.gov/.

From everyone at Mt. Juliet Police, we wish you a safe Halloween. Mt. Juliet Police Headquarters, located at 1019 Charlie Daniels Parkway, will also be open for trick-or-treating on Halloween from 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m. The department can be contacted at (615) 754-2550 (non-emergency) or 911 (emergency) to report any problems, observations, or safety concerns.

Reflective bracelets are available, now and through Halloween, at police headquarters from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.

A list of Halloween Health and Safety Tips can be viewed here: http://www.safekids.org/halloween.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Detectives are attempting to identify two men who fraudulently used a credit card that was stolen from a car burglary. The credit card was stolen from the victim in Nashville on September 21, 2019, but the suspects used the stolen card to make purchases at Target and Best Buy in Mt. Juliet later that day. Surveillance video confirmed two men were working together when purchases were made of a MacBook Pro at Best Buy and four sets of Apple Airpods and gift cards at Target.

Suspect One:

Suspect Two:

Both Suspects Together:

Detectives hope someone in the community will recognize the suspects 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/ .

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