Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The  Mt. Juliet Police Department is reminding residents to be careful while discharging fireworks to avoid injuries and noise violations as Independence Day approaches.

Fireworks are beautiful, but they can be very dangerous if they are not used safely. It is imperative that fireworks be handled with care 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 who are using fireworks. The Mt. Juliet Police Department urges residents to be careful, follow safety precautions, and abide by city ordinances during their holiday celebrations.

In Mt. Juliet, it is unlawful to sell or use fireworks in the city limits except from June 20th through July 5th and December 10th through January 2nd. During this holiday season, fireworks cannot be discharged or used between the hours of 10:00 p.m. – 10:00 a.m. In addition, fireworks cannot be sold or given to any person under the age of 18. It is permissible for juveniles to use fireworks only if a parent is supervising the activity. Failure to follow Mt. Juliet’s City Code regulating fireworks could result in a $188.00 fine.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these common sense safety tips for using consumer fireworks in the hopes that injuries can be greatly 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 when using fireworks.
• Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then 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. – A grand Fourth of July Celebration is planned, and Mt. Juliet’s Fireworks will launch at 9:00 p.m. from The Paddocks of Mt. Juliet shopping center. To make sure the event is safe and enjoyable for everyone, Mt. Juliet Police and Fire will be on site. The firework presentation, presented by local nursery owner Tom Needham, will begin around 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4, 2018. The fireworks will launch from the field between Academy Sports and Culver’s restaurant. The firework show can be visible along all parking lots connected to Mt. Juliet Road between Weston Driver and Providence Parkway; however, the best viewing area will be in The Paddocks of Mt. Juliet shopping center and surrounding area.

Mt. Juliet’s public safety teams are expecting large attendance and increased traffic. Safety is always a top priority, and many police officers will be present during the event for patrols and traffic control. With any large event, attendees should always be vigilant for suspicious activity. If anything suspicious is spotted, attendees are encouraged to say something and call police. To contact the police department’s non-emergency line, attendees can simply dial 311. In addition, the Fire Department of Mt. Juliet will have extra firefighters on hand near the firework launch site.

The firework show should end around 9:35 p.m., and a large amount of traffic will begin to exit out of parking lots along Mt. Juliet Road near the Interstate 40 interchange. A traffic plan has been established, and advanced traffic signals will adapt to the increased traffic.

The following roadways will have the traffic pattern adjusted during & after the firework show:

• Pleasant Grove Road will be CLOSED at Old Pleasant Grove Road to westbound traffic only. Residents and visitors will be allowed access so they can get to neighborhoods along Pleasant Grove Road. Traffic will not be allowed to use Central Pike from Pleasant Grove Road.

Please remember, during this event, our roadways will see a major increase in traffic, so delays should be expected. Personal fireworks, alcoholic beverages, barbecue grills, and parking on roadway medians are prohibited.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Nashville & Eastern Railroad is scheduled to close the northbound lanes of Mt. Juliet Road near Division Street this Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The closure will allow road crews to fix the bump on the northbound approach to the railroad tracks. Southbound traffic will not be affected.

Detour routes will be in place, and police officers will be on hand to watch the traffic situation. Motorist travelling north on Mt. Juliet Road are encouraged to avoid the railroad track crossing by detouring down Industrial Drive, Clemmons Road, or Golden Bear Gateway.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Extra officers will be out on patrol over Memorial Day weekend, and they will be focusing on unsafe driving behavior with saturation patrols.

“We will be extremely visible throughout the weekend,” said Chief James Hambrick. “Our duty is to make sure our community remains safe, and extra officers will be out to deter any unlawful or unsafe behavior.”

The department encourages everyone to celebrate responsibly and enjoy the weekend safely.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A DUI offender, who led officers on a pursuit, is now wanted after leaving a hospital’s care. Officers pursued 36-year-old Steven Summers II on Monday afternoon after police dispatch received multiple calls about a possible impaired driver. Officers spotted Summers on Lebanon Road near Nonaville Road, and it was obvious that he was impaired. Summers failed to stop and led officers on a short pursuit. While in pursuit, Summers would lose and regain consciousness multiple times while the vehicle continued motion. He was taken into custody on Williamsburg Road after losing consciousness with the vehicle still in drive.

Due to Summers impaired state and self-inflicted injuries, he was transported to the Tennova Healthcare emergency room in Lebanon. While he was under their care and not fully conscious, a court order was provided to the hospital, requiring them to immediately notify the department if Summers was to be released. While still receiving care, he removed the medical equipment attached to him, and ran away from the hospital Tuesday night around 10:30 p.m.

Summers is wanted for Driving Under the Influence – 7^th Offense, Felony Evading, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangerment, Resisting Arrest, Driving on a Revoked Drivers License – 5^th Offense, Leaving the Scene of a Non-Injury Crash, and Driving While a Habitual Offender.

Attempts to find Summers have been unsuccessful, and it is believed he was last known to be in the Smyrna area. Anyone with any information about Summer’s whereabouts are encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the successful apprehension of Summers. 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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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A man on Wilson County’s Most Wanted List was apprehended by officers last night at a home. Yesterday evening around 7:00 p.m., officers developed information that 23-year-old Robert Bush was at a home in the 2000 block of Cairns Drive East. While officers were attempting to make contact with Bush, he was heard in the garage. As he exited the garage on a motorcycle, he was confronted and arrested. Further investigation revealed that Bush was in possession of marijuana and a handgun.

In addition, at prior moments, Bush fled officers twice. One moment was while he was on a motorcycle on Devonshire Drive, and a second moment in a car on Nonaville Road.

Bush was booked in to the Wilson County Jail under multiple changes. Those charges were 3 counts of Evading Arrest, 2 counts of Driving on a Revoked Drivers License, Reckless Endangerment, Reckless Driving, Failure to Appear, Violation of a Conditional Release, Unlawful Possession of a Schedule VI Drug with Intent for Resale, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. He is also wanted by various other counties for charges related to failure to be booked and a probation violation.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A report of a suspicious vehicle in a neighborhood by a vigilant citizen has led to the identification and arrest of a home burglary suspect, who is responsible for multiple home burglaries in Rutherford County. This morning around 7:48 a.m. officers were summoned to the area of Patton Drive and N. Bass Drive to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle. The vigilant citizen noticed a car that he did not recognize in the neighborhood and felt it was odd, so he called police to check it out. Officers responded to the area and found 20-year-old Brandon Kelley of Nashville in the car.

Further investigation revealed multiple items of stolen property and burglary tools in Kelley’s possession. Items found included a laptop, jewelry, purses, recreational equipment, and tools that were stolen from homes in Rutherford County. Detectives worked with other law enforcement agencies in Rutherford County to make sure all the stolen property would eventually make it back to the owner.

“This is a perfect example of a community working together and why community relationships are so important to a safe Mt. Juliet. A citizen saw something suspicious and said something about it, by calling our dispatch, so we could send officers out to investigate the person,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “Furthermore, our officers had the knowledge to recognize the indicators that allowed our detectives to connect this man to multiple other burglaries. It was great work by all.”

Detectives further stated that Kelley did not have a legitimate purpose to be in the area, and it is likely he was in the area to commit more burglaries. Kelley was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Unlawful Possession of Burglary Tools and Theft of Property. Additional charges are pending in other jurisdictions.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Early this morning, an unlocked BMW was stolen from the Jackson Hills neighborhood, and it has already been recovered by detectives in Nashville. Early this morning, around 4:30 a.m., a victim reported a 2014 BMW 328 car stolen from their driveway. The car was unlocked with the keys inside. Detectives immediately began to investigate the theft, and they recovered the car in Nashville later this afternoon.

In addition, five unlocked car burglaries were reported over the weekend. The cars were rummaged through, but nothing of value was stolen. The police department continues to remind and urge the community to lock their cars and remove all valuables. Information obtained throughout the investigations lead detectives to believe that many of these crimes are connected among multiple cities. The thieves travel from city to city around the Nashville area and target safe neighborhoods where residents have a higher likelihood of leaving their cars unlocked.

Most of the unlocked car burglaries are occurring after midnight and into the early morning. The suspects usually load up into a stolen vehicle and drive it around to the different neighborhoods to commit their crimes. When the suspects reach an area, multiple get on foot to quickly find unlocked cars. In addition, many of the thieves have been known to be armed, so they should not be confronted if spotted. The police department should be contacted immediately if something suspicious is spotted or if there is a crime in progress. With many school systems heading into Summer break, it is very likely that this activity will increase.

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