Nashville Sgt. shot

[narcodog4]

2 held in Nashville officer's shooting | tennessean.com | The Tennessean
2 held in Nashville officer's shooting
Metro police veteran in critical condition after traffic stop

By Nicole Young and Janell Ross • THE TENNESSEAN • June 26, 2009

UPDATED: 11:10 A.M.

Officer Mark Chesnut remains in critical condition in Vanderbilt University Medical Center's intensive care unit this morning, one day after Vanderbilt trauma surgeons treated him for multiple gun shot wounds to his abdomen and right arm.
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Additional information about Chesnut's condition was not available as the family has asked Vanderbilt to limit public statements about his health to the officer's condition, said Jerry Jones, a Vanderbilt University Hospital spokesman.

On Friday, a group of about two dozen police officers, family and friends remained at the hospital.
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A prison escapee on the run from Mississippi shot a veteran Metro police officer multiple times during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 on Thursday afternoon, police say.

The 22-year police veteran, Sgt. Mark Chesnut, had the presence of mind to radio for help and give fellow officers enough details to help them track down his assailants even though he lay wounded in his unmarked patrol car on the side of the interstate.

"He's always been a hero. Today, he's a world-class hero," said U.S. Attorney Ed Yarbrough, who described Chesnut as a friend.

Chesnut, 44, underwent surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and was listed in critical condition Thursday night. He faces more surgery today.

"Primarily, we'll have to determine if we can put his bowel back together," said Dr. John Morris, the chief trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt. "This is a life-threatening injury. He's on a ventilator. He's on life support. But, we are all hopeful that he will return to his family and ultimately to work."

Police say Chesnut had stopped a dark blue Dodge Magnum with Georgia tags about a half-mile from the Bellevue exit.

They did not know why he stopped the car.

The driver, Courtney Logan, 25, was a convicted robber from Louisville, Ky., who had earlier in the day helped his passenger, Joseph Jackson, 29, escape from a Mississippi prison, police say. Jackson was serving a life sentence for aggravated assault and armed robbery.
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Chesnut, working in the department's interstate interdiction unit, ran their license tag through the computer in his patrol car. While he was doing that, police say, Jackson got out of the Dodge, walked back to Chesnut's car and began shooting him through the passenger window. Jackson dropped the weapon on the officer's front seat.
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A video camera on the officer's dashboard may have captured part of the attack, said Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas.

Chesnut was wearing body armor but sustained multiple shots to his abdomen and right arm.

Serpas said that Logan helped Jackson escape on Thursday during an optometrist appointment around 8 a.m. in Mississippi.
Charges filed

After the shooting, police spotted the suspects' car near Martin's Wrecker Service on Hermitage Avenue around 2 p.m., and the suspects were taken into custody. Jackson has been charged with attempted murder, stealing a gun from a Mississippi corrections officer, unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon and being a fugitive from justice. Logan has been charged with attempted murder and unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon.

The two were in a car that had been rented from a Louisville Thrifty Rent-A-Car on Wednesday and due back today.

Serpas said several weapons were seen inside the car, but did not release any details about how many or what kind they were. Shackles and handcuffs also were found in the suspects' car.
Respected as supervisor

Chesnut spent eight years as a child sex crimes investigator for the department before switching over to the interstate interdiction unit.

Capt. Todd Henry, who will soon become the Hermitage Precinct commander, described Chesnut as a mentor. He said he is a very intelligent, conscientious supervisor "who always looks after his guys."

"He didn't sit behind a desk. He was out there in the field patrolling, just like they were."

Chesnut and Henry patrolled together on the midnight shift out of the West Precinct when Henry was a new police officer back in 1991. The two officers worked together for about three years.
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"He was a hard worker and we used to back each other up," Henry said. "As a young officer, I remember being very impressed by him. Even though he had been on the force a couple of years, he was still aggressive."
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Henry said that above all else, Chesnut is a family man, a husband and a father to three young children, two daughters and a son. "He has pictures of them all over his desk," he added.

Mayor Karl Dean praised Chesnut and urged Nashvillians to keep him and his family in their hearts and prayers.

"We wish Sergeant Chesnut a quick recovery," Dean said. "He has been with the police force for 22 years, essentially half his life. This is a reminder that our police officers put their safety on the line every day to protect our city, and that not only affects them but also their families. We should take this moment to pause and express our gratitude to all police officers."
'One of the good guys'

District Attorney Torry Johnson first met Chesnut when he was the head of a Metro child abuse division and has known Chesnut for at least 15 years.

"He's always been very active, very effective, very talented," Johnson said. "I think just about anyone who has worked with him would tell you that. Mark is certainly one of the good guys … there are a lot of us around the office that certainly have a lot of respect for him."

When Chesnut led the child sex crimes unit, he brought something unusual to the job, a respect for the work of social workers, a sensitivity to the needs of children and a drive to thoroughly investigate every case, said Bonnie Beneke, the executive director of the Tennessee Chapter of Children's Advocacy Centers.

And, Chesnut expected his staff to approach their work the same way.

"He's just a wonderful man, extremely professional and someone who really did a lot to bring a level of professionalism to that unit … you know a lot of times when you are law enforcement working a child abuse case you have to work with DCS (the Department of Children's Services) and social workers you know…we work together but we don't really view the world the same way.

"It's kind of an uneasy alliance. But Mark was just so dedicated and brought both a concern about the facts and a sensitivity to the table and I think brought guys and women to the unit that were willing to do the same."

Chesnut's wife, Michelle, was in Alabama at the time of the shooting but the Alabama Highway Patrol and Tennessee Highway Patrol flew her to Vanderbilt.

[CTR man]

Get well soon, Sgt. What ever you do, PLEASE don't wind up on ODMP.

Not so fast, Logan. Even though we want you to rot in hell for having anything to do with shooting a cop, you have to do it our way.

Suspect attempts sucide | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

Suspect attempts suicide

By Nicole Young • The Tennessean • June 26, 2009

One of two suspects charged in yesterday’s shooting of Metro Police Sergeant Mark Chesnut attempted suicide Friday in his jail cell.

At about 1 p.m., a corrections officer on rounds at the Davidson County Sheriff’s office spotted Courtney Logan, 25, standing in his cell leaning on the top bunk with a rope from a laundry bag tied around his neck and to his cell door, according to a report.

Officers rushed to Logan’s cell and took him into custody without incident. He was taken to the medical unit where he was cleared of any injury, the report said.

Davidson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karla Weikal said Logan is being kept under observation in a safe room within the medical unit.

“The requirement in this situation is for us to do a cell check on him every 15 minutes,” Weikal said. “We have an officer posted outside his door.”

Corrections officers say they’ve placed Logan in a suicide smock and prohibited him access to items that could be used in further suicide attempts.

A suicide smock, Weikal said, is a thick, quilted garment made of heavy canvas with padding on the inside.

“It is impossible to twist,” she said.

Logan will remain under observation in the safe room until further notice with mental health personnel reviewing and evaluating his case daily, police say.

[Captain America]

Prayers for a full and speedy recovery......

[Second Chance]

Prayers enroute.......so glad the POS'S were apprehanded and arrested.

[Willowdared]

Thoughts and prayers en-route.

[2 Blue 4 U]

Thoughts and Well wishes for a full and speedy recovery!

[Buttercup]

Thoughts and prayers enroute.

[BigDawg]

Hang in the Sgt. the citizens need you back on the streets.

Thoughts and prayers for a speedy and full recovery.

[GASheepdog]

Hope the sergeant recovers soon. Good to hear that the suspects were caught.

[armsmaster270]

Prayers enroute.......so glad the POS'S were apprehanded and arrested.

Same here

[Jenna]

Hope the sergeant recovers quickly.

[lewisipso]

Chesnut was wearing body armor

I hate the media.

Prayers for a quick recovery.

[K9brando]

I saw this on the Black Asphault page a couple of days ago and they have been keeping us up to date there. He is doing ok but needs more surgeries. They couldn't do anymore today because his blood pressure was too low but they hope to be able to do it soon!

[Pudge]

Thoughts and prayers enroute!

[ChesCopPodz]

so glad the POS'S were apprehanded and arrested.

Im not, but for a different reason

Get well soon sgt.

[tinytroopergirl]

I pray for Sgt. We risk our lives everyday, not for the money but for the love for what we do, and what we might have to do, Bless us all