COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Cookeville Higher Education Campus police are warning students about an attempted abduction in a parking lot.
A female student said the incident happened between 8:50 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday night. Campus police said a white male in his 40s approached her at the Cookeville Campus and followed her. He then asked her to go to a party to which she replied no.
According to police, he tried to grab her but then ran into the woods near the 3rd tier of the campus parking lot.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Vol State Gallatin Campus Police Department at (615) 230-3595 or Vol State Cookeville Campus Police Department (931) 520-4616.
They also offered some personal safety tips:
- “Be aware of your surroundings.”
- “If you sense you are being followed or chased, call 911 immediately. Notice and remember as much as possible about the person in order to give a good description later.”
- “Stay near well-lit areas away from isolated locations.”
- “Walk with someone.”
- “Utilize a Campus Safety Escort where an individual can be escorted from one on-campus location to another, such as from the building to the car.”
- “Mentally prepare to defend yourself against an abductor.
