A Nashville man on bond for a previous murder charge has been arrested following a high-speed chase by Metro Police. Rico Ransom, 21, allegedly led officers on a pursuit that ended with spike strips and a foot chase into a wooded area. The black Dodge Challenger, reportedly driven by Ransom, was initially spotted committing multiple traffic offenses before the chase ensued. Ransom, who was also armed and wearing an ankle monitor at the time of his arrest, has now been charged with two counts of felony evading, felony gun possession, and driving on a revoked license, WSMV reported.
The episode occurred on Saturday night, with Metro Police detectives taking note of the vehicle lingering unusually long at a gas station at 26th Avenue North and Clarksville Pike. When officers approached, the vehicle hurriedly left the scene and, in an attempt to escape, Ransom allegedly discarded an AR-style pistol from the car window. After the use of spike strips, he was eventually stopped, but he made a run into neighboring woods before detention, according to a coverage by WKRN.
Ransom's arrest adds to his legal troubles as he is due to appear in Criminal Court on June 5 for a first-degree murder indictment. This stems from a November 2019 incident in which he is accused of the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Steven Shelton on 26th Avenue North. Ransom was arrested for this crime in May 2021, when he was 17 years old. And not a first encounter with violence, Ransom was also charged with attempted criminal homicide at 14 following a shooting during a fight outside Pearl Cohn High School, FOX17 detailed.
Following his latest arrest, Ransom's bond was set at $28,000. The Metro Nashville Police Department heralded the event as a success for "precision policing public safety work." They added that the Specialized Investigations Division's TITANS unit was instrumental in the tracking and eventual capture of Ransom. Details regarding Ransom's bond conditions, specifically how he managed to be armed despite his legal constraints, were not immediately made available, according to WKRN.
