Both suspects apprehended in Tuesday manhunt

Lawrenceburg Police Chief Terry Beecham said that law enforcement officials were able to apprehend both suspects during a manhunt Tuesday afternoon that resulted in a lockout at two schools.

According to Beecham, officers were dispatched to intervene in a domestic altercation on Paige Drive, situated directly behind Lawrenceburg Public School, at around 12:30. As a result, the school was placed on “lockout” status. As the manhunt continued, Coffman Middle School was placed on lockout, as well. Students remained inside the locked buildings until school officials were told the situation had been resolved at around 3:30 p.m.

Beecham said the complainant had initially reported that the two persons involved in the altercation were wanted out of Rutherford County for armed robbery, prompting the manhunt. He said that by 2:00 p.m. they had received confirmation that there was an active capias warrant for the female suspect. He said that by that time, “We already had her in custody. She was pretty much intoxicated in the back seat of a patrol car.”

Beecham said that when officers arrived on the scene the male suspect had fled out back door. “He rockets out the back door - didn’t bother to open it – literally knocked it off the hinges – and went out the back door, over the fence. When officers identified themselves to halt, that’s when it lit the rockets in his boots and he was gone. He made it over the hill behind Alex Drive, down to the creek that runs under Hayes Road, went under the bridge, down to Shoal Creek, and then back up Shoal Creek headed back north toward Springer Road.”

Members of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department responded to the area to assist in the operation. In addition, Beecham said that they received air support via a military helicopter dispatched out of Rutherford County.

Eventually, Beecham said, “A relative notified us they just saw him walking back on the northeast side of Fall River Road. So we pulled our resources from Alex back over to Fall River and started setting up the perimeter toward Highway 43. We eventually caught him about two hundred yards in the woods behind Rayfield Avenue, a short distance from an abandoned barn.”

Beecham said that, “In the process of running he did fall and break an arm. We did not charge him at that particular time. We’ll present it to the grand jury for indictment.”