A Nashville police officer is now in critical, yet stable condition after being shot in a confrontation on Thursday afternoon, as reported by Metro Police.
Following the initial gunfire, the suspect engaged in a violent clash with Metro Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officers in an area hidden by foliage on Upshaw Drive.
The suspect that they were pursuing was wounded and taken to a hospital. The encounter did not result in any additional injuries to other police personnel.
Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) spokesperson Don Aaron has identified the injured officer as Donovan Coble, a 33-year-old with four years of service in the department. Coble was critically injured with a gunshot wound to his side. Despite the severity of his condition, expectations are optimistic for his recovery.
Metro Police shared a photograph of the suspected shooter around 3:30 p.m. An eye-witness account places the suspect at The Parking Spot, a parking facility in the vicinity of Nashville International Airport, where he was purportedly attempting to burglarize vehicles earlier on Thursday.
According to the same witness, the suspect brandished a firearm at an employee of the facility.
Responding officers soon found themselves in a gunfight with the suspect near Donelson Pike, as corroborated by the witness.