Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Nashville, Tenn. – Two Mt. Juliet Police Officers were honored today at Metro-Nashville Police Department’s annual award ceremony. Mt. Juliet Officer Jacob Berti and Officer Kyle Holtmeyer’s honor was a result of their actions in February of 2022 when they stopped to render aid to injured Metro Nashville Police Officer Sundra, who was parked on the shoulder of I-440 in his police vehicle to calm traffic for electrical work when a pick-up truck slammed into the rear of his police vehicle. Berti and Holtmeyer were off-duty then, saw the crash, and immediately stopped to help Sundra. As a result, Metro-Nashville Police honored Berti and Holtmeyer with a Special Commendation award for their grateful appreciation and recognition of the unselfish assistance given to their department and officer.

“On or off-duty, Mt. Juliet’s police officers are here to serve others,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “Our department is grateful for the collective, amazing work of our police officers. I am especially grateful Officers Berti and Holtmeyer were in the right spot at the right time and rendered care to Officer Sundra. Thank goodness Sundra fully recovered and is back to work serving the Nashville community. Much appreciation to Nashville Police Chief John Drake for taking the time today and recognizing Officer Berti and Holymeyer for their actions.”

(L-R) Metro-Nashville Police Chief John Drake, Mt. Juliet Police Sergeant Sean Ronan, Mt. Juliet Police Lieutenant Wesley Neely, Mt. Juliet Police Officer Kyle Holtmeyer, Metro-Nashville Police Officer Samuel Sundra, Mt. Juliet Police Officer Jacob Berti, Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick, Mt. Juliet Police Captain Tyler Chandler, and Mt. Juliet Police Sergeant Chris Barth

(L-R) Mt. Juliet Police Officer Kyle Holtmeyer, Metro-Nashville Police Officer Samuel Sundra, and Mt. Juliet Police Officer Jacob Berti

(L-R) Metro-Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Mt. Juliet Police Officer Kyle Holtmeyer, Mt. Juliet Police Officer Jacob Berti, and Metro-Nashville Police Chief John Drake

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers quickly apprehended a man after he fired shots at a vehicle following an altercation. Around 10:00 a.m. this morning, officers rushed to the area of McDonald’s, at 126 N. Mt. Juliet Road, in response to a reported shooting. Witnesses provided a detailed description of the individuals involved and their vehicles. Responding officers located the shooter’s vehicle, stopped it, and quickly apprehended the suspect near the intersection of Old Pleasant Grove Road and Pleasant Grove Road.

Gratefully, no one was injured in the shooting. Detectives determined that two adult males, unknown to each other, began to argue in the parking lot of McDonald’s after one’s comments upset the other. The argument escalated into further confrontation. As one adult male was leaving in a vehicle, 61-year-old Gregory Muller, Sr. of Mt. Juliet, fired a couple of shots from a handgun at the vehicle. Other patrons were in the parking lot and restaurant when the shooting occurred.

The 34-year-old man, who was shot at, fled the area. Detectives eventually tracked the individual down to confirm the detailed accounts from witnesses who assisted in the investigation.

61-year-old Gregory Muller, Sr. of Mt. Juliet, was booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with one count of Aggravated Assault and seven counts of Reckless Endangerment.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Three Mt. Juliet police officers graduated yesterday from the Basic Police School at the East Tennessee Regional Law Enforcement Academy in Morristown, Tennessee. Mt. Juliet’s newest police officers, Officers Michael Binns, Justin Ferrell, Jacob Smartt, and 37 other law enforcement officers across Tennessee, took part in a graduation ceremony for Class 127 at Walters State Community College.

(L-R) Lt. Wesley Neely, Dep. Chief Michael Mullins, Ofc. Justin Ferrell, Ofc. Michael Binns, Ofc. Jacob Smartt, Capt. Tyler Chandler, Lt. James Christensen, and Lt. James Cothron

Officer Jacob Smartt was honored as the top cadet in the Defensive and Tactical driving training.

“Our department is proud of their achievement! We look forward to seeing Officers Mike Binns, Justin Ferrell, and Jacob Smartt serve the Mt. Juliet community,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The department continues to ensure routes near schools are safe for students, and the department’s leadership team met with Mt. Juliet High School leadership on Monday, March 13 to discuss the concern of dismissal traffic and parking near the school.

The concern stems from motorists and students not following the school’s designated traffic plan to properly pick up a student from school safely and/or not properly parking on school grounds. Motorists are parking in nearby neighborhoods to circumvent the school’s traffic plan, and students are parking on nearby streets and business parking lots to avoid parking on school grounds. The additional, unnecessary pedestrian traffic leads to additional road delays and potential unsafe situations, and nearby neighborhood residents are also frustrated with the additional vehicular traffic.

For afternoon pick up, students have the following safe options:

• A car rider who is picked up in an authorized, safe location that follows the school traffic plan
• A bus rider who loads the bus in an authorized, safe bus loading zone
• A student driver who parks in an authorized parking space at the school and follows the school’s dismissal plan
• A walker who walks to their residence within a safe walking distance from the school, using appropriate crosswalks and sidewalks

For afternoon pick up, motorists should not:

• Impede the flow of traffic by picking up a student while stopped in a travel lane
• Park on unauthorized private or business property to wait and pick up a student
• Park unlawfully on any public street that impedes the flow of traffic, blocks a driveway, or fire hydrant

Extra police officers will be deployed on roadways around the school to ensure motorists are driving safely. Officers will be enforcing any unsafe, unlawful driving behavior or illegal parking. The ultimate goal of everyone is to ensure students have safe routes to and from school. To ensure such, motorists and parents are strongly encouraged to follow the school’s traffic plan and further information provided by school leadership.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Police Department is offering a $2,000 reward, which is in addition to the family’s $1,000 reward, for information that leads to missing Deavin Nicole Walker’s whereabouts. Deavin turned 37-years-old today and has been missing since February 26, 2020. Detectives and her family are very concerned about her. She was last known to be walking in the Willoughby Station neighborhood after telling a family member she was going to the store. She was reported missing on April 16, 2020.

Walker left her residence wearing a white shirt with green sweatpants, and she had a cell phone that is no longer working. She is a black female, 5’3″ in height, weighing 125 pounds, having brown eyes, and brown hair in dreadlocks with highlighted tips. She frequently visited the Lebanon area in the past.

If anyone has any information about the whereabouts of Deavin Nicole Walker, 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/.

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