NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Earlier Tuesday, police surrounded a man in a vehicle near the downtown Nashville jail, where it required the SWAT team.
Police removed the man from the vehicle after a percussion grenade after multiple hours of negotiation. Officers were on the scene around Gay Street and Second Avenue North.
The man has now been identified as Ira Whitehorn. He has a criminal history dating back to 2011.
Whitehorn was booked into Metro Corrections on multiple weapons and drug charges. He is not eligible for release at this time.
Family members who watched the standoff unfold say Whitehorn was troubled and needed help. They said they hoped this arrest would lead to getting him the help he needed.
Officers yelled at the man to get on the ground and pulled him out of the vehicle.
You can watch the standoff as it happened in the livestream below
Police said the person circled the area in a rental car and would drive off when police asked the individual to stop. The SWAT team was called, and authorities blocked the roadways.
Family members talked to the individual in the car from a loudspeaker. The man was unharmed when taken into police custody.
Nick Beres contributed to this reporting.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email newsroom@newschannel5.com.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
