RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Police are searching for suspects after a violent, daytime robbery targeting an armored truck outside Ascend Federal Credit Union.
Investigators said the robbery happened just before 11 a.m. Wednesday on West Clark Boulevard, when a Loomis employee was making a routine cash delivery.
According to police, two suspects arrived in a dark-colored Nissan Pathfinder, armed with guns. One of the suspects approached the armored truck, assaulted the guard and took money before fleeing the scene.
Witnesses nearby described the moment as chaotic.
“That all happened when I was trying to have a normal work day and control chaos inside the building,” said Destiny Ryder, who works nearby.
Ryder remembers officers coming into her workplace shortly after the robbery, asking about possible surveillance footage.
“One of the cops actually came in asking for footage we could share that was pointing in certain directions, and of course we didn’t have anything to use at the time,” Ryder said.
Police later spotted the suspected getaway vehicle on Old Fort Parkway. Investigators said the SUV sped away, traveling onto Interstate 24 and later exiting onto Interstate 840 toward Smyrna, where officers lost sight of it.
Video of the incident has since circulated on social media, something Ryder said was unsettling to watch.
“To me, it looks like it was perfectly set up — they knew the timing of the drop or something,” she said.
In a statement, Ascend Federal Credit Union said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement as investigators work to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Ryder thinks the incident serves as a reminder to stay alert.
“I don’t know if they were desperate or if it was just a dumb move on their part. Either way, it wasn’t the best idea,” she said.
Police have not released how much money was taken. The Criminal Investigations Division is actively pursuing leads.
The credit union has since reopened and is operating as usual.
Have a tip or see a crime trend developing in your community? Email NewsChannel 5’s Aaron Cantrell at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com to share your story.
This story was reported by reporter Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and our editorial team verify all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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