Murfreesboro Police Utilize ALPR Technology to Apprehend Assault Suspects

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – (November 28, 2023) In a swift and collaborative effort, Murfreesboro Police successfully employed Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to trace three suspects involved in a brutal assault and stabbing at Kelton’s Hardware. The incident, which occurred on Friday, November 24, left a homeless man critically injured in the parking lot of the hardware store on Old Fort Pkwy.

"Our Crime Data Analysts in our Real Time Crime Center were instrumental in appending these three individuals," stated Murfreesboro Police Public Information Officer Larry Flowers. The ALPR system played a crucial role in tracking the suspects' vehicle, eventually leading law enforcement to Clarksville.

The Murfreesboro Police worked hand-in-hand with the Clarksville Police Department (CPD) to ensure the suspects were brought to justice.

The suspects attempted to evade arrest on Tuesday afternoon in Clarksville. A vehicle pursuit ensued, resulting in the immediate apprehension of two suspects. The third was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit. The collaborative efforts between Murfreesboro and Clarksville law enforcement agencies proved effective in swiftly bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The adult male suspect is currently held at the Montgomery County Jail on attempted first-degree murder charges. Meanwhile, the two juvenile suspects will be transported to the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center, where they will face juvenile petitions for attempted first-degree murder. The victim remains in critical but stable condition, as the community awaits further developments in this ongoing investigation.

DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.

Comments from Management at Kelton

All of us at Kelton's Hardware and Pet were shocked at the incident that happened at our store this past weekend. We have never experienced anything like this in our 60+ years of serving our community. We hope for a speedy and full recovery for the victim and that justice is served on his assailants.

We take the safety and security of our employees, customers, and community seriously which is why we have an extensive security system with cameras throughout our stores’ interior and exterior (which helped with the search).

We are also very proud of how our staff, plus one customer, reacted and immediately helped the victim and contacted the authorities to get him medical assistance. We also want to thank our Murfreesboro PD, Fire, and EMT as they were here within minutes to help with the victim.

We are fortunate to live in a community with a very low crime rate, but we also understand that crime happens everywhere and we’re always focused on our customers safety.