Son of Nashville police chief accused of shooting 2 officers found dead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — John Drake Jr., the estranged son of Nashville’s police chief accused of shooting two officers in a suburb of the Tennessee capital, was found dead on Tuesday night, authorities said.

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According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Drake Jr., 38, was discovered by authorities dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, WZTV reported.

Drake Jr.’s mother, Veleria East, told WSMV-TV that her son died in the Edgehill neighborhood of Nashville. Drake Jr. is the son of Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake Sr.

Drake Jr. was accused of shooting two officers in front of a Dollar General store in La Vergne, located southeast of Nashville, at about 2:23 p.m. CDT on Saturday afternoon, WSMV reported.

According to La Vergne police Chief Christopher Moews, officers were pursuing a possible stolen vehicle, The Tennessean reported. While officers were questioning one person, later identified as Drake Jr., the suspect allegedly pulled out a gun and shot both officers, WTVF reported.

The wounded officers were identified as Gregory Kern and Ashley Boleyjack, WZTV reported. The two officers were allegedly shot by the suspect after a struggle, according to the television station.

Both officers have been released from an area hospital, WZTV reported.

Moews posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, about Drake Jr.’s death.

“The La Vergne community and our heroic officers can rest easy tonight knowing the manhunt for John Drake Jr. is over,” Moews said in the statement. “We want to thank all of the officer who were involved in tonight’s pursuit for their steadfastness and dedication to seeing this case through to the end. Our prayers are with Chief Drake and his family.”

Drake’s father, John Drake Sr., said in a statement on Saturday that he was “shocked and deeply saddened” to learn that his son was suspect in the case.

“Despite my efforts and guidance in the early and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38 years old, resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon,” Drake Sr. said in part. “He has not been a part of my life for quite some time.”