Three armed men were taken into custody after leading police on a chase in East Nashville.
The ordeal began around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, when Metro Nashville Police officers spotted the suspects in a red Chevy Cruze near South 8th Street.
Police said they were openly displaying their guns and pointing them at MDHA cameras in James Cayce Homes. That's when officers said they tried to pull the car over.
Instead, the suspects allegedly started driving away from officers on Ellington Parkway. Police said at some point, a tire on the suspects' car blew out which forced them to stop near Ellington Parkway and Hart Lane.
Three guys openly displaying guns started a police chase in East Nashville overnight. What finally forced the trio to stop? A FLAT TIRE pic.twitter.com/KvmV2cX4lu
— Sophie N-K (@SophieNC5) January 11, 2018
The three men were then taken into custody and guns, magazines, and bullets were found inside the car. Guns found on the exit ramp at Hart Lane.
None of them were cooperating with police. The driver was identified as 26-year-old Marles King. The two passengers were identified as 22-year-old Orlando Hall and 20-year-old Thomas Pointer.
King and Hall, both convicted felons, were each charged with drug possession, being felons in possession of handguns, gun possession during the commission of a felony, criminal trespass, and evidence tampering.
King was also charged with evading arrest and reckless driving. He was being held in lieu of an $80,000 bond.
Hall had prior convictions for aggravated burglary, reckless driving, and trespassing. He was being held in lieu of a $40,000 bond.
Pointer was charged with unlawful handgun possession, evidence tampering, and criminal trespass. He was being held in lieu of a $30,000 bond.
Authorities said that at the time of Pointer's arrest Thursday, he was free on a $50,000 bond following his arrest last July for shooting and attempting to rob a man in a parking lot on East Palestine Avenue. Reports stated that victim recovered from his injuries.
