Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – An impaired driver failed to stop for Mt. Juliet Police officers Tuesday evening and led officers on a short, low-speed pursuit until his tires were deflated by a spike system. Around 9:00 p.m. Mt. Juliet’s Emergency Communications Center received a call about a man passed out in an SUV on Sunnymeade Drive. Officers responded to the area and found the SUV driving the wrong way on Belinda Parkway, head-on at other traffic. The driver failed to stop for officers’ blue lights and sirens, and he continued at speeds near 25 MPH down Belinda Parkway. Another officer was able to deploy a spike system near the intersection of Belinda Parkway and N Mt. Juliet Road to stop the impaired man’s flight from officers. The spike system deployment was successful, and three of the SUV’s tires were deflated.

The driver, identified as Ronald Lambert, 59, of Madison, was taken into custody without further incident when the vehicle stopped at Exxon on N. Mt. Juliet Road. He was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Evading Arrest, Reckless Endangerment, and Driving Under the Influence.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – After a short pursuit this morning, Mt. Juliet Police successfully stopped a fleeing car with a spike system. Around 7:15 a.m. Thursday morning, a Mt. Juliet Police Officer attempted to stop a 1996 Toyota Camry on Interstate 40 westbound for a traffic violation. The driver failed to stop, and led police officers on a short pursuit. The pursuit entered Metro-Nashville for a very short period of time, turned around, and headed eastbound on Interstate 40. While on Interstate 40 eastbound, a Mt. Juliet Police Officer was able to safely deploy a spike system in front of the fleeing car. The spike system deflated two of the car’s tires, which eventually disabled the vehicle. Officers were able to successfully arrest the driver and passenger without further incident on Interstate 40 near the Mt. Juliet Road interchange.

The driver, Edward Judkins, 51, of Smithville, was arrested and charged with Evading and Reckless Endangerment. The passenger, Candida Driver, 41, of Smithville, was arrested on existing warrants for evading and failure to appear in court out of Dekalb County. In addition, she attempted to conceal a baggy of marijuana on her person, which was discovered by medical personnel. She was charged for Simple Possession of a Schedule VI drug. Both are set to appear in court on May 13, 2014.

Video of Pursuit Ending:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – After a short pursuit this morning, Mt. Juliet Police successfully stopped a fleeing car with a spike system. Around 7:15 a.m. Thursday morning, a Mt. Juliet Police Officer attempted to stop a 1996 Toyota Camry on Interstate 40 westbound for a traffic violation. The driver failed to stop, and led police officers on a short pursuit. The pursuit entered Metro-Nashville for a very short period of time, turned around, and headed eastbound on Interstate 40. While on Interstate 40 eastbound, a Mt. Juliet Police Officer was able to safely deploy a spike system in front of the fleeing car. The spike system deflated two of the car’s tires, which eventually disabled the vehicle. Officers were able to successfully arrest the driver and passenger without further incident on Interstate 40 near the Mt. Juliet Road interchange.

The driver, Edward Judkins, 51, of Smithville, was arrested and charged with Evading and Reckless Endangerment. The passenger, Candida Driver, 41, of Smithville, was arrested on existing warrants for evading and failure to appear in court out of Dekalb County. In addition, she attempted to conceal a baggy of marijuana on her person, which was discovered by medical personnel. She was charged for Simple Possession of a Schedule VI drug. Both are set to appear in court on May 13, 2014.

Video of Pursuit Ending:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Shoplifting is on the rise in the city with 37% more shoplifting offenses in 2013 than 2012, and the Mt. Juliet Police Department is rolling out new tactics in an effort to curb this rising trend. The new efforts include educating retail staff on the crime, implementing a zero tolerance approach to shoplifters, and launching a Retail Text Alert program.

The zero tolerance approach to shoplifting will make it more inconvenient for shoplifters to operate in Mt. Juliet, and officers have been instructed to take shoplifters to jail rather than issue a misdemeanor citation to the offender. In the past, shoplifting offenders were simply issued a misdemeanor citation for their crime if it was not a felony. This process was quick, and the shoplifter was able to walk away after completing some paperwork. Now, shoplifters are arrested and transported to jail, which is much more inconvenient and less desirable for the offender.

“We want to create an environment in our retail community that is very difficult for shoplifters to be successful,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “By providing more resources to our merchants and making it more difficult to shoplift in our community, I am hoping that we can lower the occurrence of shoplifting.”

Earlier this month, members from Mt. Juliet Police Department’s Command Staff met with merchants in the Providence MarketPlace and Paddocks retail developments to educate business owners and managers on the crime. How to spot a shoplifter, preventing shoplifting, and prosecuting shoplifters were all topics that were discussed during the educational meetings. Educational material was provided to the owners and managers so they could pass it along to their employees as well.

To ensure retail managers and loss prevention staff are aware of active shoplifters, Mt. Juliet Police is launching a Retail Text Alert program. Under the Retail Text Alert program, a text message is sent out to retail managers and loss prevention staff as soon as officers respond to an area store for a crime. The alerts will typically include the location of the crime, suspect description, and what kind of items the suspect is targeting.

“Shoplifters do not just target one store, and they hit many stores in the area,” stated Sergeant Tyler Chandler. “If someone is targeting our stores, we want to ensure we get the word out so we can prevent other crimes from occurring.”

So far this month, Mt. Juliet Police responded to 16 shoplifting incidents and charged 11 people for shoplifting. To register for the Retail Text Alert program, retail managers and loss prevention staff can contact Community Policing Coordinator James Christensen at (615) 773-6253 or jchristensen@cityofmtjuliet.org.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers apprehended a man moments after he attempted to rob Cracker Barrel, located at 350 S. Mt. Juliet Road. Around 10:30 p.m. Monday evening, Mt. Juliet’s emergency communications center began to receive 911 calls after an armed man attempted to gain entry into the closed restaurant. The suspect’s entry into the restaurant was unsuccessful, and he jumped into a nearby vehicle. That vehicle was located by officers at an adjacent gas station, where three occupants were detained. The armed suspect was apprehended, and the handgun used by the suspect was recovered by officers. Employees were inside the restaurant at the time of the attempted robbery.

Investigators from Mt. Juliet Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division responded to the scene, and they conducted a thorough investigation. Investigators identified the armed suspect as Thomas Barnes, 28, of Lebanon. He was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Aggravated Robbery and Theft of Property. It was determined that the handgun used during the robbery was stolen. The other two individuals, who were located with Barnes, will not be charged.

MEDIA BRIEFING:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers apprehended a man moments after he attempted to rob Cracker Barrel, located at 350 S. Mt. Juliet Road. Around 10:30 p.m. Monday evening, Mt. Juliet’s emergency communications center began to receive 911 calls after an armed man attempted to gain entry into the closed restaurant. The suspect’s entry into the restaurant was unsuccessful, and he jumped into a nearby vehicle. That vehicle was located by officers at an adjacent gas station, where three occupants were detained. The armed suspect was apprehended, and the handgun used by the suspect was recovered by officers. Employees were inside the restaurant at the time of the attempted robbery.

Investigators from Mt. Juliet Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division responded to the scene, and they conducted a thorough investigation. Investigators identified the armed suspect as Thomas Barnes, 28, of Lebanon. He was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Aggravated Robbery and Theft of Property. It was determined that the handgun used during the robbery was stolen. The other two individuals, who were located with Barnes, will not be charged.

MEDIA BRIEFING:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A rash of spare tire thefts has occurred in Mt. Juliet, prompting Mt. Juliet Police to ensure residents are aware of the problem. Thieves are targeting vehicles with rear-mounted, full spare tires. The spare tires on Jeep Wranglers have been the most popular target for thieves, and the thefts are typically occurring in shopping-area parking lots at night.

“This is a crime of opportunity, and the tires can be quickly removed from the vehicles and later sold online by the thief,” stated Sergeant Tyler Chandler. “After shopping or dining in a restaurant, theft victims have come out to their SUV to find the spare tire stolen.”

Mt. Juliet has experienced nine such thefts, though neighboring jurisdictions have seen additional thefts. Mt. Juliet Police recommends parking your vehicle in a well-lit area and reporting any suspicious activity to police immediately. In addition, inexpensive spare tire locks can be purchased to add additional security to rear-mounted, full spare tires.

Anyone with any information regarding the spare tire thefts 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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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet Police officers caught a burglary suspect leaving the scene after he broke into Ace Hardware early Thursday morning. Around 3:15 a.m. on February 6, officers were summoned to the hardware store after the burglar alarm activated. The suspect, identified as Edward Holliday, II, 44, of Lebanon, was spotted by an officer in a nearby parking lot attempting to flee. The officer quickly engaged Holliday and detained him.

Further investigation revealed that Holliday smashed through the front glass door to gain entry. He was found in possession of a brown paper sack that he used to conceal his face while he broke into the store. Holliday is a former employee of the City of Mt. Juliet, City of Lebanon, and Metro-Nashville Government. During the commission of the crime, he was not an employee of the City of Mt. Juliet. He was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Burglary and Vandalism. He was released on a $4,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 24, 2014. In addition, the investigation in on-going and more charges could be forthcoming.

“Mt. Juliet’s police officers work so hard to ensure that our community remains safe, and I am thankful that we have such hard-working employees,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “Their vigilance and quick response led to the offender’s capture.”

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Early this morning around 1:20 a.m., Mt. Juliet Police Officers were summoned to the Daily’s convenience store, located at 88 N. Mt. Juliet Road, to investigate an armed robbery that had just occurred. Officers determined that a white male pulled up to a gas pump in a blue sedan, and he entered the store wearing a ski mask and holding a handgun. The robber pointed the gun at the clerk and demanded the clerk to put cash into a black bag. Leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber fled the scene in his car.

Responding Mt. Juliet Police Officers quickly relayed the robber’s vehicle description to nearby agencies in an effort to capture the offender. Officers with the Lebanon Police Department spotted and stopped the suspected robber’s vehicle on Interstate 40 eastbound in their city. The driver gave consent for officers to search his vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of a black M92 9mm replica BB handgun. Mt. Juliet Police investigators responded to the traffic stop, and a detective obtained a confession from the suspected robber, identified as Zachary Phillips, 24, of Hendersonville. He was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail on a $40,000 bond, charged with Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Theft of Property. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 24, 2014.

“The quick action of vigilant officers led to the quick apprehension of the armed robbery suspect,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “I’m thankful of our close, working relationship with Lebanon Police Department and quick response by their officers.”

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Investigators have concluded their investigation in to the shooting deaths of a man and woman, and the incident has been ruled a murder-suicide. Around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 21, Mt. Juliet Police officers were summoned to a home in the 1000 block of Weston Drive to investigate the deaths of a man and woman. Upon arrival, officers found two adults deceased with wounds consistent with gunshots. Police were notified by a family member, who located the man and woman inside the home. The individuals were identified as Betty Wilburn, 80, and Hubert Wilburn, 77, of Mt. Juliet. The investigation revealed that Betty died of a single gunshot wound. Hubert, the husband and shooter, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“Our investigators worked very diligently to piece such a heart-breaking and sad incident together,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the Betty and Hubert Wilburn, their friends, and loved ones.”

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