Police chief’s son wanted for shooting two cops found dead with gunshot wound

The son of the Nashville Chief of Police was found dead after allegedly shooting and injuring two officers on Saturday.

John Drake Jr, 38, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Tuesday night.

He was wanted for shooting and injuring two police officers from La Vergne, Tennessee, a suburb about 20 miles south of Nashville.

Drake was the estranged son of Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake Sr.

The police chief said he had ‘very minimal activity’ with his son for years, and has since ‘resorted to years of criminal activity.’

Drake Jr had been on the run since Saturday, after La Vergne Police Officers Ashley Boleyjack and Gregory Kern stopped him at a Dollar General store parking lot while investigating a stolen car.

The two officers ‘struggled with that subject, and during that struggle the suspect produced a handgun and fired shots,’ La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said.

Boleyjack and Kern were both struck by gunfire and hospitalized. Both have since been released.

Drake fled the scene, kicking off a manhunt and gaining a spot on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list.

Drake resurfaced on Tuesday night in south Nashville, where he confronted a couple at their home and asked for a ride.

‘They were unable to give him a ride or did not want to give him a ride. At that point, he produced a pistol and demanded the vehicle that was in the driveway,’ Metro Police spokesperson Don Aaron said. ‘Drake took the car at gunpoint and drove away.’

Nashville Police Officers spotted the stolen vehicle a short time after the theft and began a car chase with their own police chief’s wayward son.

Drake crashed the stolen car a short distance away, then ran on foot into a nearby shed.

‘While the officers were surrounding the residence to contain the shed, a gunshot was heard,’ Aaron said. ‘It appears he has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.’

Drake’s death is still under investigation by the state Bureau of Investigation.

La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said the community can ‘rest easy’ knowing that the manhunt has ended.

‘We want to thank all of our officers involved in tonight’s pursuit for their steadfastness and dedication to seeing this case through to the end,’ Moews said. ‘Our prayers are with Chief Drake and his family.’

Chief Drake said he was ‘grateful to the members of law enforcement, including many officers from this department, who worked diligently since Saturday to locate my son and bring him into custody.’

He continued: ‘It was my prayer that no harm would come to him or anyone else. I am heartbroken and saddened by the outcome. I appreciate the condolences and kind words of support as my family and I privately mourn our loss’

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