Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Following a suspicious person call near local businesses, officers arrested a convicted felon who was intoxicated and armed with a handgun. Around 6:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, officers responded to the area of the Publix shopping center, located in the 600 block of S. Mt. Juliet Road, after citizens reported a man acting suspiciously. Callers to police dispatch stated that a man was wandering around the shopping center, approaching people, and stating he had just been robbed and needed help.
After arriving in the area, officers began to search for the man. He was eventually located by undercover Crime Suppression Unit officers in the parking lot of Holiday Inn with two other individuals that came to pick him up. Further investigation revealed that the man, identified as David Thornton, Jr, 36, of Lebanon, had just placed a handgun in the trunk of the car. Thornton also stated to officers that he had just been robbed and was under the influence of methamphetamine. His statements regarding a robbery were determined to be a false claim.
Thornton is a convicted felon with a violent criminal history. He was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Public Intoxication, False Report, Possession of a Weapon While Under the Influence, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. He is held under a $18,500.00 bond.
David Thornton, Jr, 36, of Lebanon
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