A Nashville man has found himself in police custody after a parking mishap in Mt. Juliet led to the discovery of a stolen firearm. WSMV reports that the suspect, a 24-year-old male, was initially stopped for parking in a handicapped space without proper authorization at the Providence Marketplace.
When the Mt. Juliet Police Department confronted him about the parking violation, they found the gun, which was reported as stolen after a car burglary in September 2024, according to officials. Having discovered the gun during the traffic stop, the man, still unnamed, was taken into custody for possessing the stolen weapon. While visiting Nashville, the gun was previously stolen during a car burglary, according to WKRN.
The arrest wasn't the first run-in with law enforcement for the man. Deputy Chief Tyler Chandler of the Mt. Juliet Police told WKRN that the suspect had a previous arrest at the age of 17, linked to a shooting which resulted in the death of a 16-year-old. Though he was convicted, the decision was subsequently overturned on appeal.
The Mt. Juliet Police took to social media, praising their own proactive work: "This afternoon, an officer patrolling Providence Marketplace observed a handicapped parking violation that led to a significant discovery," a post read, distributed in the wake of the parking violation that led to an arrest and the recovery of a stolen gun. "During a traffic stop, a stolen handgun—reported stolen after a car burglary in Nashville in September 2024—was found in the possession of a 24-year-old Nashville man." This was according to a post on the department's X page. The individual was apprehended, and the stolen firearm was seized.
