THP K-9 Helps Smithville Police Capture Man Wanted for Statutory Rape

September 14, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Lebanon man wanted for aggravated kidnapping and statutory rape led Smithville Police on a pursuit Friday before crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot into the woods. About an hour and a half later he was arrested after a Tennessee Highway Patrol K-9 unit flushed him out of the woods.

26 year old Tyler Shawn Fowler is under a $30,000 bond on charges of statutory rape and felony evading and will make a court appearance on September 30.

The incident unfolded Friday, September 10 at around 3:15 p.m. on Meadowbrook Drive as Fowler tried to outrun Smithville Police. When the officer initiated his lights and sirens, Fowler began to increase his speed and refused to stop. After about a 15 minute chase, Fowler ran the vehicle he was driving into a ditch and began to flee on foot. The Tennessee Highway Patrol was later summoned to help search the woods using a K-9. At the time officers thought Fowler might be armed. He was not. Trooper Bobby Johnson, Trooper Andrew Coppinger, and THP K-9 officer Adam Cothron and his dog Draco arrived on the scene.

“We responded to Tabernacle Road due to a man who had fled on foot into the woods and was possibly armed. He was wanted for aggravated kidnapping. They requested our K-9 assistance. The K-9 came from Trousdale County and upon arrival he began to track. After a couple of minutes he located the suspect in some brush. Fowler wouldn’t comply with commands to get on the ground or get his hands up so the K-9 was deployed and drug him out from the brush. Fowler was then checked out by DeKalb EMS and taken into custody,” said Trooper Johnson.

September 13, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Nashville man armed with a handgun broke into his ex-girlfriend’s DeKalb County home Thursday and threatened the woman and her new boyfriend in the presence of six juveniles. He was later arrested after leading law enforcement officers on a high speed pursuit to I-40 at Lebanon.

30 year old Justin McCoy, Sr. is charged with reckless endangerment, domestic assault, evading arrest, vandalism, reckless endangerment, aggravated burglary, 2 counts of aggravated assault, theft, and resisting stop- frisk- halt –search-or arrest. His bond totals $75,500 and he will make a court appearance September 24.

Chief Deputy Robert Patrick of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said that on Thursday, September 9 a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Nashville Highway due to a burglary in progress involving a firearm. Upon arrival the officer learned that the man had fled the scene. After spotting the suspect’s vehicle, the deputy initiated his emergency equipment and pursued the automobile. By the time the pursuit reached Wilson County officers there had deployed spike strips taking out the suspect’s two front tires. When it stopped on I-40 at the 223 mile marker, officers converged on the vehicle and ordered the driver, McCoy to get out. When he refused they forcibly removed McCoy placing him into custody.

Prior to the pursuit that day McCoy had gained entry into his ex-girlfriend’s home by breaking a window and air conditioning unit. Once inside he pulled a handgun and placed it to the woman’s head and threatened to kill her in front of the children. McCoy also threatened the woman’s new boyfriend by pointing the gun at him.

McCoy had already assaulted the woman seventeen days before the September 9 episode on August 23.

On that day, Chief Deputy Patrick said a deputy was dispatched to the woman’s Nashville Highway residence where she reported that McCoy had grabbed her by the hair and pushed her away and then when she turned around he hit her resulting in cuts on the left side of her neck and face and a bruise on her right breast. The woman said after the assault, McCoy left the scene in her vehicle, taking the automobile without permission.

September 13, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Blue Springs man who tried to outrun a deputy last month is due in court Thursday, September 16.

41 year old Aubrey Glenn Rigsby is charged with evading arrest, reckless endangerment, driving on a revoked or suspended license, and failure to appear in court. He is under a $41,000 bond.

Chief Deputy Robert Patrick of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said the incident occurred on August 4 after a deputy spotted Rigsby operating a gold colored Nissan Maxima while not wearing his seatbelt.

The officer initiated his emergency equipment and tried to stop the car but Rigsby sped away on Lakeview Drive before turning onto Cookeville Highway and then traveling at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour while passing other vehicles on the right shoulder of the roadway,

Rigsby then turned down Coconut Ridge Road still traveling at a high rate of speed where he almost hit a semi head-on. He eventually turned in at 2866 Coconut Ridge Road before stopping and fleeing on foot. He was later taken into custody. Rigsby has four prior driving on suspended license offenses.