In an extraordinarily prolonged incident, Katlyn Gayle Wray, a 28-year-old convicted felon, led police on a chase of the slowest sort through the streets of Nashville. Starting yesterday morning, the pursuit began with Wray found unconscious in a parked stolen vehicle, as reported by WSMV. Awoken by officers' attempts to check on her, she drove off, nearly hitting two of them.
Despite ignoring the efforts of law enforcement, including the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) which later joined, spike strips that flattened all four tires of her vehicle, Wray persisted at speeds ranging between 7 to 15 miles per hour across various parts of Davidson County. As Metro Nashville Police pursued in the early hours, Wray's disabled vehicle, while it littered debris, slowly made its way back towards Nashville, as detailed by a FOX 17 report.
The chase, which stretched out over the course of hours, forced authorities to think on their feet and ensure public safety was not compromised. Legal analyst Nick Leonardo commented on the nuances of such pursuit, telling NewsChannel 5, "They're constantly asking for additional information about traffic patterns and how crowded it is, the speed. Obviously, there's a need to protect the public, and that protection is paramount to trying to catch the bad guys."
When it comes to chases, Metro Nashville Police have policies that restrict certain tactics. Therefore, assistance called in from the THP became critical in bringing Wray to a halt using a PIT maneuver. This tactical move was successfully performed on I-24 West near Briley Parkway, which finally put an end to the chase, as Wray was cuffed and taken into custody, according to WSMV.
A laundry list of charges awaits Wray, including two counts of vehicle theft, five counts of evading arrest with risk of injury, three counts of aggravated reckless driving, two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of vandalism, and driving on a suspended license. In response to her actions, when asked why she refused to stop, Wray reportedly replied: "I'm already on paper for ten years anyway," a statement reported by NewsChannel 5. Her extensive criminal history includes convictions for burglary, drug possession, and theft, amongst others. She is currently held on $107,000 bond.
