NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A special initiative from the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has netted its 1,000th arrest in its first year.
The department’s initiative to combat vehicle theft and related crimes began on Feb. 1 and reached this milestone on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
According to the MNPD, detectives located a stolen Dodge Ram 1500 TRX pickup truck in the area of Trinity Lane near Whites Creek Pike. The truck had reportedly fled from officers last week.
Detectives identified the driver as Corey Harding Jr., 28, through surveillance, and a police helicopter followed Harding as he attempted to elude ground units following from a distance.
Harding reportedly reached speeds of approximately 120 miles an hour, tossing a gun out the window of the truck near the intersection of Old Hickory Boulevard and Sulphur Creek Road. He eventually pulled into a parking garage on Harding Pike, where he ran away.
Harding was taken into custody at a nearby women’s boutique, where he was pretending to buy a dress, police said. The gun he tossed out the window of the truck was later recovered.
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Harding was charged with vehicle theft; possession of a gun as a felon; two counts of evading arrest; reckless driving; and two counts of altering title, registration, plate, or permit. He is being held in lieu of a $93,000 bond.
According to the MNPD, Harding was previously convicted of felony evading arrest in 2023, after he fled from officers in a stolen vehicle that he ultimately crashed, which injured a passenger in the vehicle.
In addition to the 1,000 arrests, officials said the special initiative has led to the recovery of 532 stolen vehicles and 223 guns.
