Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Theft suspects, who burglarized a nearby home under construction, caused significant damage to a nearby occupied home as they fled the scene in their truck. Mt. Juliet Police officers were summoned to the 1000 Block of Carriage Trail this afternoon around 12:30 p.m. in reference to a home struck by a vehicle. The home was occupied by one person during impact. Luckily, no injuries occurred during the crash.

Investigation revealed that two white men were in the process of burglarizing a home under construction, but they became spooked by a nearby homeowner. The suspects fled the scene in reverse and lost control, causing a trail of damage. Two mailboxes and a fire hydrant were destroyed, and a home was badly damaged in their attempt to leave the scene.

Around 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, one of the suspects, Christopher Guess, 22, of Portland, turned himself in at Mt. Juliet Police headquarters. He was arrested and charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident and Failure to Report an Accident . The second suspect was identified as Jason Goode, 39, of Mt. Juliet. Warrants for his arrest have been issued for Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Failure to Report an Accident, Felony Vandalism, Theft, and Driving on a Revoked Drivers License. Goode is currently wanted by the Mt. Juliet Police Department. Goode is possibly in possession of the crashed truck, which is a silver 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended-Cab pick-up bearing Tennessee plate K4118Z with significant rear-end damage. If anyone is aware of Goode’s whereabouts, they are urged to notify police.

Since the home was badly damaged, the Fire Department of Mt. Juliet (FDMJ) and building inspectors responded to the scene to check the home’s structural integrity. The home was declared unsafe. However, FDMJ is going a step further so the homeowner is not forced to move out. Firefighters temporarily repaired the home to ensure it was safe for the homeowner. Lumber and supplies were brought to the scene by Mt. Juliet’s volunteer firefighters so work could be completed on the home.

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/ .

Photos of FDMJ Firefighters Repairing the Home:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet Police officers were summoned to Interstate 40 near the Beckwith Road interchange this afternoon around 3:45 p.m. where the driver of a Cadillac Escalade caused a disturbing crash. When officers arrived on the scene, they located the crashed Cadillac in a water retention basin off the interstate. Officers determined the driver of the Cadillac, 34-year-old Brandon Johnson of Watertown, to be under the influence of alcohol.

Witness statements and the crash investigation revealed that Johnson was driving erratically on Interstate 40 headed westbound when he lost control and hit the dividing concrete barrier. Upon striking the barrier, the front wheel of the Cadillac flew off and stuck a car headed eastbound on Interstate 40.  Johnson bounced off the barrier and struck another vehicle twice before running off the roadway and into the retention basin. Two 19-year-old males, who were headed back to college, were in the vehicle that was struck by the wheel. A 62-year-old female was driving the vehicle struck by the Cadillac. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. Johnson was treated on the scene for a minor injury prior to going to jail.

Johnson will appear before a Wilson County Judge on November 18, 2013 on the charges of Driving Under the Influence (TCA 55-10-401).

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A 65-year-old female had her wallet stolen while shopping at Wal-Mart in Mt. Juliet on the afternoon of September 23, 2013. Two individuals stole the victim’s wallet from her purse while it was sitting in her shopping cart. After stealing the wallet, the suspects left Wal-Mart with the victim’s credit card and made several purchases at other local stores. A laptop, iPad, smart phone, and phone cards were all purchased fraudulently.

Prior to their crimes in Mt. Juliet, the suspects committed a similar crime near Knoxville, Tennessee.

Investigators were able to obtain video surveillance images of the suspects. The suspects are described as two black females, between the ages of 35-45 with a medium to larger body build. They left the scene in a dark-colored 4-door smaller vehicle, possibly a Chrysler or Dodge with chrome trim around the driver and passenger side windows.

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/ .

Surveillance Photos:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Police Department is hosting a joint active shooter training exercise at two public schools in Mt. Juliet on Friday, October 18, 2013. The exercise will simulate a realistic emergency response to multiple shooters inside schools during a school day.

“These realistic mock scenarios allow us to evaluate our response capabilities in the event of an actual emergency,” said Police Chief James Hambrick. “We want to assure our community that our department, law enforcement partners, and emergency responders train for these types of situations so we are prepared if and when we’re needed.”

The exercise will be a coordinated multi-agency response to an active shooter and mass casualty incident on two Mt. Juliet school campuses. More than 100 volunteers and emergency responders will participate in the preparedness drill, including personnel from the Mt. Juliet Police Department, Fire Department of Mt. Juliet, Wilson County Sheriff’s Department, Lebanon Police Department, Wilson County Emergency Management Agency, and Wilson County Schools. The exercise will incorporate volunteers in facilitating the training drill by playing the roles of victims, bystanders, or shooters. Mt. Juliet Police personnel will also test the emergency communications system in the city, which includes Nixle, Twitter, Facebook, and the police newsroom.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of being prepared for emergency situations, especially on a school campus. It is vital to the safety and well-being of our community and school children that we prepare ourselves to respond appropriately to an active shooter incident,” said Mt. Juliet Police Captain Michael Mullins, who is coordinating the exercise.

The active shooter drill is meant to better prepare law enforcement and emergency responders to provide the quickest and most appropriate response to any type of emergency or threatening situation on a school campus. The main goal is to ensure law enforcement and emergency responders are prepared for the worst so the safety of students and staff remains a priority.

More specific details on the times and exact school locations of the training exercise will be released closer to the training exercise on October 18. The media is more than welcome to cover and participate in the training exercise. Media, who are interested in covering or participating, should contact Sgt. Tyler Chandler for arrangements.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Police Chief James Hambrick was honored for his strong dedication to the community by local Modern Woodmen of America members at a small ceremony today. He was named a Hometown Hero.

“Chief Hambrick is honored for his dedication and selfless work to the Mt. Juliet community through Modern Woodmen’s Hometown Heroes Program,” stated Modern Woodmen Regional Director Josh Conner. “Improving the quality of life for our members, their families, and their communities is Modern Woodmen’s mission. The Hometown Heroes Program helps us acknowledge and thank members across the country for doing just that.”

Josh Conner and Jennifer Steakin, of Modern Woodmen, presented Hambrick with a certificate in recognition for his efforts. Through the honor, Hambrick was awarded a $100.00 grant to Mt. Juliet Help Center, the charitable organization of his choice.

“I’m honored to receive this award,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “It’s humbling to be recognized by a local business who does so much for our community.”

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Three area schools were placed on lockdown this afternoon after theft suspects fled Wal-Mart. Around 1:30 p.m. Mt. Juliet Police officers were summoned to the area of Lowes after Wal-Mart loss prevention attempted to stop two theft suspects. Troy Adams, 26, and Leverites Lawson, 23, both of Nashville, ran from Wal-Mart with over $250.00 in stolen merchandise in a shopping cart.

As police arrived on the scene, Adams was quickly apprehended. However, Lawson ran into a wooded area near three schools. Mt. Juliet Christian Academy, West Wilson Middle School, and Stoner Creek Elementary were placed on a soft lockdown while police searched the nearby area for Lawson. The lockdown was established as a safety precaution to ensure all students and staff remained safe. Police searched the area for over an hour, but Lawson was not located. Officers gained information that confirmed Lawson was no longer near the schools. Therefore, the lockdown was lifted around 2:40 p.m.

Lawson has active warrants on file for Theft of Merchandise and Evading Arrest.

Troy Adams was arrested, booked into the Wilson County Jail, and charged with Theft of Merchandise. At the time of his arrest, Adams was also wanted by Metro-Nashville Police for a Failure to Appear charge.

 

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet Police Department will go live with a new communications system Friday afternoon. The new system will replace older, outdated technology that did not provide adequate coverage for emergency responders within Mt. Juliet’s city limits. Mt. Juliet is the first city in Wilson County to move to a digital, P25 compliant interoperable communications system. Emergency responders in Mt. Juliet will now have the ability to clearly speak to each other with a push of a button, which was a dream that began in October of 2011.

Serious incidents led up to the dream where it was obvious that the older, outdated communications system wasn’t adequate anymore. During one incident, a reserve police officer suffered a heart attack and had to crawl back to his patrol vehicle to call for help because his portable radio could not transmit. Prior to that incident, officers pursued armed robbery suspects slightly into Metro-Nashville and ended up chasing the suspects on foot. Officers did not have the ability to speak to dispatch nor communicate with Metro-Nashville Police during the chase.

In late 2011, after city commissioners approved more than $1,200,000.00 for the new system, Motorola Solutions was tasked with the upgrade. During the planning stages, it was important for Mt. Juliet Police project managers to ensure officers and firefighters would continue to have the ability to speak with other law enforcement and emergency management partners within the area, and the new system has complete interoperability capabilities. To save on cost, a partnership and interlocal agreement was established with Metro-Nashville government and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation. Mt. Juliet’s radio infrastructure is controlled by Metro-Nashville’s much larger system, and tower space is leased from Middle Tennessee Electric.

“One of our main priorities was to ensure our emergency responders had adequate communications so they could respond and deal with incidents effectively,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “It’s exciting to see this project come to fruition, and I am thankful for the support from our city leaders who understand our mission of protecting such a great community.”

Mt. Juliet Police will starting operating on the new system around 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27. The new system will come online just in time before Mt. Juliet’s new fire department begins operations on Monday, September 30. A system dedication ceremony will be held in late October.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet’s Night Out Against Crime is coming up soon. Residents are invited to join the Mt. Juliet Police Department, Fire Department of Mt. Juliet, and Wilson County Sheriff’s Department for the community’s annual night out against crime on Tuesday, October 1. The evening is a great way to connect with neighbors and promote neighborhood and police-community partnerships in the fight for safer city.

“At our Night Out Against Crime, we will be promoting our use of social media,” said Police Chief James Hambrick. “Social media is a great way for us to communicate and have dialogue with our community, and we want to ensure our residents are aware of our social media use.”

Mt. Juliet’s Night Out Against Crime event allows neighbors and law enforcement to come together and become acquainted in a friendly setting. This event takes shape at Mt. Juliet’s Providence MarketPlace where the police department comes out in force to provide a friendly setting with live music, free food, children’s activities, and crime prevention initiatives. The Night Out Against Crime is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness. This is accomplished by generating support and participation in anticrime programs while strengthening neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

Mt. Juliet’s National Night Out Against Crime will be held on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  in Providence MarketPlace near the Providence 14 theater.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn – A home relocation transport project will significantly impact Mt. Juliet’s main south-to-north thoroughfare this afternoon. The northbound lanes of N. Mt. Juliet Road will be blocked from 12:00 p.m. to approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20 while a whole, intact house is transported along the roadway to its new destination. Around Noon, the transport convoy will begin on N. Mt. Juliet Road at N.W. Rutland Rd, and the convoy will travel northbound until it reaches Faulkner Lane.

Motorists should avoid this area during the impacted time frame.

The relocation project should take approximately 3 hours for the transport convoy to move along N. Mt. Juliet Road. Traffic will be held up behind the convoy as it travels northbound to its destination on Faulkner Lane.

Updates on the transport convoy’s location will be sent out via the City of Mt. Juliet’s Nixle text alert system and Mt. Juliet Police Department’s social media on Facebook and Twitter.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A dead body of a female was discovered in a vehicle parked at the Waffle House this afternoon. Around 5:30 p.m. officers were summoned to Waffle House at 236 South Mt. Juliet Road in reference to a deceased female. Upon arrival, officers and Wilson EMA professionals determined that the female was deceased. Mt. Juliet Police Department’s criminal investigators responded to the scene to process it for evidence, and a medical examiner responded to process the body. The preliminary investigation revealed that this was not a criminal incident, and there is no obvious foul play.

The deceased was positively identified as a Terri DeNeal, 52, of Harrisburg, Illinois. She was wanted by the United States Marshals on a federal indictment issued on September 4, 2013 for mail fraud. The investigation into the mail fraud case was conducted by the Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations for the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The medical examiner has completed the autopsy, and investigators are waiting to receive that report from the medical examiner’s office.

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