By Nicole Young and Janell Ross
Courier-Journal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two men from Louisville have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a police officer in Nashville Thursday afternoon.
Sgt. Mark Chesnut, 44, was shot multiple times after stopping a dark blue Dodge Magnum on Interstate 40. Chestnut is listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery Thursday. He is expected to have more surgery Friday.
The Louisville men, Courtney Logan, 25, and Joseph Jackson, 29, both face attempted murder charges in the shooting as well as charges in Jackson’s escape earlier from a Mississippi prison official.
According to Nashville police, Logan, a convicted robber, earlier in the day helped free Jackson during an optometrist appointment in Mississippi. Jackson is serving a life sentence in Mississippi for aggravated assault and armed robbery.
The shooting occurred as Chesnut, working in the Nashville department’s interstate interdiction unit, ran the license tag on the rented Dodge he stopped 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 allegedly dropped the weapon on the officer’s front seat.
A video camera on the officer’s dashboard may have captured part of the attack, said Nashville Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas.
Chesnut was wearing body armor but sustained multiple shots to his abdomen and right arm.
After the shooting, police located the Dodge in Nashville and Logan and Jackson 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 Wednesday that was due back Friday.
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.
Copyright 2009 Courier-Journal