MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Convicted felon James David Warner, 52, was arrested after allegedly breaking into two homes, assaulting two residents, leading deputies in a speeding chase and punching the off-duty officer who ultimately arrested him.
Warner, of Richland-Richardson Road, was charged with three counts of assault, two counts of burglary, felony endangerment with a vehicle, evading arrest and theft of property. He was also charged with leaving the scene of an accident and not showing due care.
“He had to be stopped,” Patrol Captain Chris Kauffman said. “We had to get him into custody.”
Warner was first reported by residents of a Woodbury Pike home who called deputies to say they came home to find a man inside that they didn't know.
“When they advised him they were calling the police, he punched the female in the face twice and cut the male on the hand with a knife,” Patrol Sergeant James Holloway reported.
Then, the unidentified man ran away. Drones and a Murfreesboro Police K9 unit searched for him, and while the search was underway, another 911 call came in to dispatch from Woodcraft Road about another home break-in.
Holloway saw a man speeding away in an SUV when he went to respond to the scene, and the driver matched the description of the suspect.
The speeding driver was pursued from Woodbury Pike to Rutherford Boulevard and onto Halls Hill Pike. He clipped a civilian's car on West Trimble Road and kept going.
The chase ended when Warner drove through a yard and crashed into a fence, disabling the SUV.
An off-duty Murfreesboro Police officer was at the scene. The officer pursued and detained Warner until deputies arrived.
“During the detainment, the suspect punched the officer in the face,” Holloway said.
Warner's criminal history record is lengthy and includes theft, drug offenses and evading arrest. He is being held on an $80,000 bond in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center. His hearing is set for December 15.
