Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – With Independence Day festivities beginning to ramp up, the Mt. Juliet Police Department is reminding residents to be careful while discharging fireworks in order to avoid injuries and noise violations.

Fireworks are exciting, but they can be very dangerous if they are not used safely. Fireworks must be handled carefully to avoid serious burns, eye damage, and even life-threatening injuries. Premature denotation and misuse of fireworks are responsible for many burn injuries every year, which all could be avoided with proper and safe handling. Safety should be everyone’s priority, and parents should always supervise juveniles using fireworks. The Mt. Juliet Police Department urges residents to be careful, follow safety precautions, and abide by city ordinances during the holiday celebrations.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these common-sense safety tips for using consumer fireworks in the hopes that injuries can be significantly reduced:

• Parents and caretakers should always closely supervise juveniles if they are using fireworks.
• Parents should not allow young children to handle or use fireworks.
• Fireworks should only be used outdoors.
• Always have water ready if you are shooting fireworks.
• Know your fireworks. Read the caution label before igniting.
• Alcohol and fireworks do not mix.
• Wear safety glasses whenever using fireworks.
• Never relight a “dud” firework. Instead, please wait 20 minutes and soak it in a bucket of water.
• Soak spent fireworks with water before placing them in an outdoor garbage can.
• Avoid using homemade fireworks or illegal explosives: They can be deadly
• Report illegal explosives, like M-80s and quarter sticks, to the fire or police department.

And note these special safety tips if using sparklers:

• Always remain standing while using sparklers.
• Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
• Never hold or light more than one sparkler at a time.
• Never throw sparklers.
• Sparkler wire and stick remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop spent sparklers in a bucket of water.
• Teach children not to wave sparklers, or run, while holding sparklers.

Enjoy your time with your friends and loved ones. Everyone at the Mt. Juliet Police Department wishes you a happy and safe Independence Day.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – An adult male, reported missing last night by marina management and boat slip neighbors, was found deceased this afternoon below the water surface and under the marina dock near his boat slip. Around 11:15 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2022, officers responded to the marina at 9120 Saundersville Road to speak with the boat neighbor, who last saw the missing individual on Tuesday night. The neighbor stated they last saw the individual while he was eating and drinking alcohol near the dock edge. The individual’s chair was found in the water, and personal items remained on a nearby table. Marina management and boat slip neighbors became concerned that the missing individual may have fallen into the water and drowned, so they notified the police department.

During the night, officers searched around the marina and boat slips, including contacting family and friends, in hopes of finding the missing individual. After Wilson County Emergency Management divers arrived this morning, they located the individual below the water surface and under the boat slip’s dock.

Preliminarily, detectives and the on-scene medical examiner do not suspect any criminal activity associated with the man’s death. Information on the individual’s identity is being withheld until proper family notifications are completed.

6/21/2022 Update: The deceased person was identified as Kent Troy O’Quinn, 50, of Madison (Davidson Co), Tennessee. 

The department’s prayers are with the individual’s family, friends, and loved ones.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Two Mt. Juliet police officers graduated from the Basic Police School at the East Tennessee Regional Law Enforcement Academy in Morristown, Tennessee this morning. Mt. Juliet’s newest police officers, Michael Long and Daniel Zimmer, along with 43 other law enforcement officers across Tennessee, took part in a graduation ceremony for Class 124 held at Walters State Community College.

Before becoming a police officer, Officer Long grew up in Mt. Juliet and attended Mt. Juliet High School, further graduating from Volunteer State Community College with an Associate’s Degree. He served as a dispatcher with the department before becoming a police officer.

Before becoming a police officer, Officer Zimmer spent most of his life in Nashville, serving in the Army National Guard for six years. He received the Athletic Award in the police academy.

“Both of them shined a light on our department and community while attending the academy, and I was grateful to hear that they stood out amongst their fellow classmates. We are proud of them,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick.

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The barricaded domestic violence suspect incident at a home on S. Sunset Drive ended peacefully. Around 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, May 29, 2022, officers responded to Sunnymeade Drive and Belinda Parkway to speak with an adult female victim who had just left her home. She told officers that a man she knew forced his way into her home, assaulted her, and made violent threats.

The suspect was identified, and warrants were obtained for his arrest. However, early in the attempts, the suspect failed to exit the home after officers’ repeated requests from a loudspeaker system. Finally, after continued attempts over the loudspeaker, the suspect came out of the home. Special Response Team members contacted the suspect, and officers took a 55-year-old male into custody around 11:55 a.m. No serious injuries were reported.

At the time of this release, the suspect was being booked into the Wilson County Jail.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A Memorial Day fireworks show will occur on Monday, May 30th, 2022, at 9:00 p.m. The fireworks will launch at 9:00 p.m. from the Circle P Ranch on W. Division Street near E. Main Street and are presented by Needham’s Nursery and Circle P Ranch. They have contracted with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department to provide traffic control at the event parking location. Mt. Juliet Police Officers will also be in the area to monitor traffic and assist if needed.

Please remember that our roadways will see an increase in traffic during the event, so minor delays should be expected. Personal fireworks, alcoholic beverages, barbecue grills, and parking on roadway shoulders and medians are prohibited.

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The impaired, armed person incident on Bristol Drive N ended peacefully. Around 8:12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, officers responded to the LC Apartments complex near Bristol Drive N and Ashton Avenue after reports of a shooting in the area. When officers arrived, they spoke with witnesses who stated a man, likely impaired, fired a shot from a handgun in the parking lot before entering a townhome.

The suspect was identified, and a warrant was obtained for his arrest. However, the suspect failed to exit after officers’ repeated attempts to make contact and multiple announcements over a loudspeaker system. So, crisis negotiators and special response team members responded to the scene. Special Response Team members contacted the suspect, and officers took a 26-year-old male into custody around 10:20 p.m. No injuries were reported, and a handgun was recovered.

At the time of this release, the suspect was being booked into the Wilson County Jail.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – All but one store denied the sale of alcohol to an underage informant after undercover detectives conducted alcohol compliance checks. Mt. Juliet Police detectives sent an underage informant into all 36 businesses in the city limits that sell beer for off-premises consumption to see if they could purchase beer. Only one store, Speedway at 12115 Lebanon Rd, failed the compliance check and sold alcohol even after checking the informant’s identification. The remaining 35 stores properly checked the informant’s identification and age, which led to their denial of sale.

“Our staff will continue to randomly check to ensure our local merchants comply and not sell alcohol to underage persons,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “I’m grateful for all the clerks who properly checked the informant’s ID and denied the sale to the underage informant. While I would rather see 100% compliance, I’m thankful for the majority who did the right thing.”

Compliance checks are used to ensure businesses adhere to city ordinances and state laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages and prevent sales to under-aged individuals. Checks are conducted throughout the year, and this check was planned to coincide with graduation season.

List of Stores that properly checked ID and denied sale:

• Aldi, 315 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
• BP McDonald’s, 126 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
• Cedar Creek Marina, 9120 Saundersville Rd.  
•  Cedar Creek Market, 2300 Nonaville Rd.  
•  Circle-B, 1050 Old Lebanon Dirt Rd.  
•  Citgo, 15333 Lebanon Rd. Old Hickory  
•  Corner Market, 20 Benders Ferry Rd.  
•  Dollar General #1901, 13820 Lebanon Rd. Old Hickory  
•  Dollar General #21353, 3140 Curd Rd.  
•  Dollar General #21926, 280 Nonaville Rd  
•  Dollar General #2627, 1229 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Fastrack Market, 1200 S. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Fun Food Market, 2190 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Hyper Market, 1760 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  J.M. Market, 590 Nonaville Rd.  
•  Kangaroo Express, 10576 Lebanon Rd.  
•  Kroger (north) L-590, 4120 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Kroger (south) L-578, 401 S. Mt. Juliet Rd. #200  
•  Lebanon Market, 14866 Lebanon Rd. Old Hickory  
•  Mapco #3320, 194 S. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Mapco #3341, 11247 Lebanon Rd.  
•  Mario Market, 14815 Lebanon Rd. Old Hickory  
•  Mt. Juliet Beer Co., 11125 Lebanon Rd.  
•  Murphy Express, 355 Pleasant Grove Rd. #1100  
•  Providence Market, 65 Belinda Parkway  
•  Providence Shell #6637, 88 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Publix (north) #1220, 11207 Lebanon Rd.  
•  Publix (south) #1268, 665 S. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Shell Food Mart, 14422 Lebanon Rd. Old Hickory  
•  Star of Mt. Juliet, 3991 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Target Store, 401 S. Mt. Juliet Rd. #600  
•  Tiger Market, 125 N. Mt. Juliet Rd.  
•  Walgreen (north) #5704, 11185 Lebanon Rd.  
•  Walgreens (south) #10757, 206 Crossings Ln  
•  Walmart #4482, 300 Pleasant Grove Rd. #600  

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Updated: Vaughn just returned home and is unharmed.

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers are currently searching the Providence area for missing 63-year-old Vaughn Raymond, who has a medical condition that could prevent his safe return home. He was last known to be at Kroger (401 S. Mt. Juliet Rd) and wandered away around 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.

Description:

• White Male
• Bald
• Blue Eyes
• 6’2″ Tall
• 210 lbs
• Bown/Camo Sweatshirt, Blue. Jeans, Grey Shoes, and a Ball Cap

If anyone has any information about the whereabouts of Vaughn Raymond, they are urged 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. – A motorist struck two Patrol SUVs on Interstate 40 while three officers assisted a motorist in a disabled vehicle. Around 7:05 p.m. this evening, officers arrived to help the motorist, whose car was partially in a travel lane near the inside Interstate wall. While waiting for a tow truck around 7:50 p.m., a motorist traveling east on I-40 failed to move over and struck one of the patrol SUVs, which launched forward into the second patrol SUV.

All three officers were out of their vehicles during the impact while they worked to help the stranded motorist and tow truck operator. After impact, they began to render aid to the motorist that struck the police vehicles, and thankfully, there were no serious injuries to anyone involved in the incident.

“Motorists must always pay attention while driving. Eyes must be focused on the road ahead for hazards,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “Our prayers will be with the injured motorist, and we hope he recovers quickly. I am so very grateful that our police officers were not injured. They will get to go home to their families tonight.”

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 handled the crash investigation.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The barricaded person incident on Cypress Glen Drive ended peacefully. Around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 6, 2022, officers responded to a home in the 300 block of Cypress Glen Dr after a 911 call was made from the location. When officers arrived, they witnessed an adult male pulling a female back into the home. The suspect failed to exit after officers’ repeated attempts to make contact, and crisis negotiators and special response team members responded to the scene.

Special Response Team members contacted the suspect, and officers took a 39-year-old male into custody around 4:15 a.m. No injuries were reported.

As a precaution, residents adjacent to the suspect’s home were notified with the choice to leave their home or shelter-in-place. Many chose to remain home and shelter-in-place.

At the time of this release, the suspect was being booked into the Wilson County Jail.

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