By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—A shots fired call in west Paris resulted in a wild chase which proceeded through several city streets and business parking lots onto Hwy. 77 and ending up in the Mansfield Baptist Church parking lot. In the process, officers found the suspect had thrown a rifle from the vehicle during the pursuit.
In the course of the pursuit, Cowan reportedly drove against traffic and put officers’ lives in danger when he drove between their vehicles. The chase ended when Henry Co. Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. David Andrews rammed his vehicle to stop it.
Trey Cowan, age 24, of 480 Repogle Rd., Henry, was charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest and reckless endangerment. Other charges are pending.
In the report filed by Cpl. Andrews, he said while monitoring the Paris Police scanner channel, he heard a call of shots fired from a vehicle in the area of Harrison St. and Caledonia St.
The vehicle was described as a tan vehicle with a black male driver. The gun was seen sticking out the window and was described as a long gun. Cpl. Andrews was on Dunlap St. at Veterans and observed the area for a few minutes then observed a tan/brown Chevy Malibu coming to the stop sign at Dale St. and Tyson Ave.
Andrews said he turned around on the vehicle, which then exited onto Mineral Wells Ave., then immediately onto Spruce St and then into the parking lot of El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant.
“I turned on my emergency lights and the vehicle stopped. I got out of my patrol car and recognized the driver to be Trey Cowan,” Andrews wrote. “I asked had he just come from the area of Harrison St. He said no, but he just spoke to a police officer and that he had done nothing wrong. I advised him that the City Police would need to speak with him about the incident due to the vehicle matching the description of one being looked for.”
Cowan said he had done nothing wrong and began to roll away and Andrews advised him to stop the vehicle, that he still needed to talk to him and Cowan drove off.
Andrews said, “I got back in my patrol car and turned on my siren and pursued the defendant on Spruce St.” when Cowan turned on Russell St. toward Mineral Wells Ave.
Cowan then drove around a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who had joined the chase and then turned on Mineral Wells Ave south bound.
Andrews said, “I overtook the defendant on the left side in an attempt to rolling roadblock the defendant. The defendant proceeded into oncoming traffic lanes. The defendant was forced into the Holly Credit Union parking lot.”
At this time Cowan was blocked in by a Paris Police officer and Andrews. The officer got out of his patrol car with his gun drawn and pointed at Cowan, who turned his car toward the police officer’s vehicle, “which placed the officer life in danger, and drove between our vehicles and fled,” Andrews said.
Dep Kyle Waldron and Andrews pursued the Cowan outbound on Hwy 77 to Mansfield Rd. The defendant slowed and turned into the parking lot at Mansfield Baptist Church to try to turn around.
According to Andrews’ report, “At this point I saw an opportunity to end the pursuit and I rammed my patrol vehicle into the side of defendant’s car and pushed him. The defendant attempted to turn out of it when we struck the side of the building’s central heat and air unit.”
Cowan fled on foot for a short distance when he was tazed by Dep. Waldron after he did not comply with an order to lay down on the ground.
Cowan was found to have $3,570 in cash in his vehicle which was found to belong to his mother. The money was returned to her, according to the report.
Andrews then asked Paris Police officers if they could check the area between the old Midland Brake and Hwy 218 for any evidence. “This area is the only place that I lost sight of the vehicle for a few seconds”, Andrews said, noting that officers found a .22 rifle that had been thrown from the vehicle.
The case is still under investigation and other charges are pending.
Menu
