Estranged son of Nashville police chief wanted for shooting 2 officers found dead: cops

The estranged son of Nashville’s top cop wanted in the shooting of two police officers has been found dead after a chase following a gun-point carjacking, according to officials.

Police were closing in on John C. Drake Jr., 38, late Tuesday when they heard a muffled gunshot from an outbuilding and then found the murder suspect dead from a seemingly self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

The agency will investigate Drake’s death at District Attorney Glenn Funk’s request and a full autopsy will be performed as a part of the probe.

Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said Police Chief John Drake’s son, who had an extensive criminal history, stole a car at gunpoint from a home southeast of downtown Tuesday evening, WSMV-TV reported.

The younger Drake asked a man and woman in front of a home for a ride and when they refused, he pulled out a gun and carjacked them in the driveway, before speeding away.

Officers spotted the stolen car a short time later and followed it to the Edgehill area south of downtown, where it crashed.

Drake fled on foot to a shed behind a home and when officers closed in, a gunshot was heard, Aaron said.

The 38-year-old runaway was facing two counts of first-degree attempted murder for allegedly shooting a pair of police officers outside of a Dollar General store in La Vergne Saturday afternoon.

Police had warned that Drake was considered “armed and dangerous.” The TBI had put him on its most wanted list with a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.