Coopertown Pursuit Leads to 11 Felony Charges / 2 Arrested
COOPERTOWN, TENNESSEE (SMOKEY BARN NEWS) – On Monday, Coopertown Police officers initiated a traffic stop on Tom Austin Highway near Duncan Lane. The vehicle in question failed to stop and fled westbound on Tom Austin Highway. Coopertown officers followed the vehicle into Metro Nashville, where Metro’s aviation unit took over tracking the suspect vehicle from the air.
According to Police Chief Tyler Haley with the Coopertown Police Department, the pursuit ended near Charlotte Pike, where officers apprehended two individuals from the vehicle. The driver, identified as 23-year-old Renarja Cunningham, was operating a 2011 Buick Enclave and eventually brought the vehicle to a stop voluntarily.
During the arrest, officers recovered a 9mm handgun, $1,034 in cash, approximately 48 grams of cocaine (1.71 oz), 24 grams of fentanyl (0.85 oz), and digital scales.
Cunningham was charged with felony evading arrest, two counts of felony reckless endangerment, reckless driving, possession of Schedule II with intent to resell, possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, possession of drug paraphernalia, and speeding.
The passenger, 26-year-old Deterrious McDaniel, (a convicted felon, Haley said), was charged with tampering with evidence, possession of Schedule II with intent to resell, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Both individuals were taken into custody and transported to the Robertson County Detention Facility in Springfield, Tennessee. Cunningham is being held under a $174,500.00 bond. McDaniel’s bond has been set at $156,000.00.
In total, the two suspects are facing 12 felony charges and 1 misdemeanor, based on booking classifications. Possession of drug paraphernalia is typically a misdemeanor in Tennessee, but was booked as a felony in this case. The charges listed above are based on probable cause warrants. Both individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Following his transport to the Robertson County Detention Facility, McDaniel reported that he had sustained a gunshot wound on an earlier date. The specific time frame of the injury was unclear, and whether it had been previously treated was not released by officials. According to Robertson County EMS, McDaniel indicated that the wound required medical attention. He was transported by Robertson County EMS to a local hospital for evaluation, after which he was promptly returned to the Robertson County Detention Facility in Springfield.
