Escapee Double Carjacking and Police Shooting

A city police officer shot an escapee from Metro Nashville Correctional Center after a double  carjacking and high speed chase Saturday afternoon.  Rutherford County Sheriff’s spokesman Dan Goodwin tells WGNS News they received information that Joseph Bennett was at the Circle K Market on East Main…

(((Audio Soundbyte))) Sgt. Dan Goodwin

After hitting the spike strips, Murfreesboro Police spokesman Officer Kyle Evans says the 31-year old escapee from Metro’s minimum security facility turned toward Rutherford Blvd. and continued to Middle Tennessee Boulevard.  He turned toward Bradyville Pike onto Middle Tennessee Boulevard  and slammed into a brown Chevy.  He jumped from carjacked vehicle that he got near Cannon County and rushed, with rifle aimed, toward a blue Mitsubishi that was behind the crash.  As Bennett motioned for the occupants of that car to get out, a Murfreesboro officer opened fire, while he attempted to carjack another vehicle…

(((Audio Soundbyte))) Officer Kyle Evans

Joseph Bennett was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center by Lifeflight with an  undetermined number of gunshot wounds.  Evans says since it is an officer involved shooting, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is probing the shooting while the Tennessee Highway Patrol is working the wrecks. 

BACKGROUND FROM METRO:
31-year old Joseph Bennett was in the Metro Nashville Correctional Development Center for drug paraphernalia, evading arrest, probation violation and theft.  He was working in the facilities kitchen.  He came across the key to a U-Haul van that was used by the center’s food services.  Around 3:30 early last Tuesday (4/1/08) he vanished into the dark pre-sunrise hours.