BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — Brentwood Assistant Police Chief Richard Hickey is urging people to lock up their weapons after a group of suspects on a crime spree had access to an arsenal of guns and ammunition.
Monday morning Brentwood Police officers tried to stop car burglary suspects.
“And as we started chasing them, the vehicle pursuit started, they started throwing guns out the window," said Hickey.
When police deployed spike strips on Franklin Road to disable the vehicle, the suspects ran off into the Meadowlake neighborhood. Residents reported dozens of break-ins to vehicles and garages according to Assistant Police Chief Richard Hickey. At least one Glock is missing according to the weekly crime log.
“That’s another aspect of leaving your vehicle unlocked is the fact that so many people have a garage door opener, or at least have a button in their car that opens the garage door, so we’ve got to think about the fact that if they can enter your car, they can not enter your home,” said Hickey.
As nervous residents sheltered in place, police arrested Depatrick Groves on Williamsburg Road. He was booked on $15,500 bond, and bonded out five hours later, according to a Williamson County Sheriff's Office spokesperson.
Assistant Chief Hickey said he’s concerned that the initial bond amount was low.
“We were shocked he was able to bond out so quickly. We had charged him with at least two felonies, and we knew there were probably more charges pending," he said.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to the Williamson County magistrate on the bond amount, and the acting supervisor said judicial officials do not comment publicly on their decisions.
Groves was arrested again the next day after shots were fired at a pickup truck by a police precinct where Nashville officers had to duck for cover. Between both incidents, a lot of guns were recovered, and many of them were probably stolen.
“As a gun owner, you have a duty to keep your guns secure, and locked up.”
Hickey said what happened could have turned tragic.
“We hope it’s a little bit of a wake-up call," said Hickey.
Several weeks ago, 17 guns were stolen from an unlocked gun safe at a Brentwood home during a burglary. None of those weapons have been recovered.
