MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — An alleged car burglar was stranded in Stones River while trying to run away from police, forcing emergency crews to save him with a swift water rescue.
A spokesperson for the Murfreesboro Police Department said just before 11:30 a.m. Monday, officers received a call about a man trying to break into cars in the parking lot of a business on Medical Center Parkway. When officers arrived at the scene and approached the man, he took off running.
The man ran towards the city’s greenway and eventually jumped into the Stones River. He quickly became stranded. Murfreesboro police called the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department’s Water Rescue Team for help.
The rescue team were able to reach the man who was clinging to a clump of trees, and was starting to get hypothermia. He had been in the water about 30 minutes.
“By the time they deployed the boat and got him, it was seven minutes, so it was a quick rescue,” said Ashley McDonald, Public Information Officer for the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department.
“We often work together and shar mutual aid,” said Larry Flowers, Public Information Officer for the Murfreesboro Police Department. “In this case, since police don’t have equipment to go into the water, we called for fire and rescue. They went in and did an awesome job locating the guy.”
Water levels in the river are currently higher than normal due to the rain over the last week.
Once the man was pulled from the river, he refused to provide police with is correct name.
He was arrested and booked into the Rutherford County jail as “John Doe” and was charged with criminal impersonation, and refusing to stop halt and frisk. Police are still working to identify him.
Police say the man wasn’t able to steal anything from the cars, but they want to remind people to park smart, and not leave their valuables in sight.
