A Cheatham County business owner confronted and shot a burglary suspect as he was trying to get away.
Sheriff’s officials said the owner of Finch’s Country Store in Pegram drove up to check on his business around 10 p.m. Tuesday when he noticed the front doors had been broken.
He saw a van across the street as he approached the store. At that time, a man came out with a bundle of cigarettes.
The owner drew his gun and ordered the man to stop but he kept running.
The owner approached the driver side door. One suspect was in the back seat and ordered the driver to go.
The business owner jumped through the window to try and hold them at gunpoint. The owner fired a shot into the back seat, striking one of the suspects. He was dragged by the vehicle and suffered road rash to his face, arms and legs.
The van was recovered around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday on 12th Avenue and Wheless Drive in North Nashville. The suspect, identified as 54-year-old Phillip Noe, was in the vehicle and was delirious from loss of blood.
Noe was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and taken into surgery. His injury was described as life-threatening.
A few days earlier, Finch’s Country Store and another business on Highway 70 were burglarized. Surveillance video captured images of both the van and a suspect.
Officers were able to get a tag number from that footage.
Noe was facing charges of burglary and theft. More charges were expected in the case. The investigation remained ongoing.
