This press release serves as notice to the public that my office has concluded its investigation into all potential and actual criminal actions that ultimately resulted in the felonious victimization of approximately seventeen (17) citizens of Rutherford and Warren Counties on October 24, 2024. Regrettably, the criminal actions of Brandon Thomas James (DOB 10/14/2000) also resulted in the heartbreaking death of one of our beloved community members, Phyllis Renay Prater (formerly “Byars”). The following is a summary of conclusions, as derived, by my office, from established facts and evidence collected during the multi-jurisdictional investigation into the violent felony crime spree, led solely by, Brandon Thomas James (hereinafter “James”) on October 24, 2024:
On October 24, 2024, just prior to 3:23 a.m., Brandon Thomas James began a prolonged and deadly felonious violent crime spree that began in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County and ended tragically, in Warren County, at the intersection of Nashville Highway and Castle Street. On October 23, 2024, at 3:23 a.m. the Murfreesboro Police Department responded to Brandon Thomas James’s address located at Warrior Drive, Murfreesboro, Tennessee due to an emergency call regarding shots fired in that vicinity, resulting in property damage. The call to dispatch also included a statement from the caller that indicated that a female was likely the victim of an aggravated assault or attempted murder during the shooting by James, nearby and outside his residence, in Rutherford County.
Shortly thereafter, at 3:55a.m., the Murfreesboro Police Department was dispatched to a nearby commercial location on South Church Street, Murfreesboro, Tennessee for an Aggravated Robbery/Carjacking that had just taken place in the parking lot area of that location. Specifically, James pulled his semi-automatic handgun on another victim (Victim No. 5 in Rutherford County) at that location and subsequently stole the victim’s pickup truck. James then traveled from the South Church Street, Murfreesboro location and ended up driving to McMinnville Warren County, Tennessee, approximately two hours after his crime spree in Rutherford County, still driving the fifth victim’s stolen pickup truck. Following James’s violent crime spree in Rutherford County, the Murfreesboro Police Department put out a BOLO to surrounding local law enforcement agencies regarding James’s dangerous felony status and a description of the stolen pickup truck, he would eventually drive into McMinnville, Warren County.
At 5:54a.m. on October 24, 2024, Officer Zachary Little of the McMinnville Police Department was dispatched to a gas station located on Beersheba Highway in McMinnville for a complaint of a recent Aggravated Robbery/Carjacking at that location. Upon further investigation, it was determined that James pulled into the gas station parking lot while still driving the stolen pickup truck from Rutherford County. James then parked the stolen Rutherford County pickup truck almost completely outside of camera range on the side of the gas station property. James’s next soon-to-be victim noticed James watching said victim as he pumped gas into his pickup truck. Moments later, James relocated the stolen Rutherford County pickup truck to the gas pump immediately parallel to his next victim’s pickup truck. James can be seen on camera footage casing and scouting his next victim during the entire time the victim filled his truck with fuel. Once the victim was finished pumping gas, James had already gained an advantageous position parallel to his next victim and pulled a gun on the victim while demanding possession of this Warren County victim’s pickup truck. Said victim immediately and wisely complied with James’s demands and while backing away from his truck requested that James give him his cell phone from the cab area of the pickup truck. James complied and handed his latest victim the requested cell phone before he drove away. The second stolen truck in which James was fleeing had faulty brakes, according to information provided by the second carjacking victim in Warren County.
After he stole the second pickup truck of the morning at gunpoint, James drove the second vehicle from the gas station on Beersheba Highway toward downtown McMinnville. As he approached downtown McMinnville, James is believed to have turned right on Sparta St. By this time, a BOLO was sent out by dispatch for the second stolen pickup truck. Sergeant Daniel Jefferson of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department first saw the second stolen truck as it approached the area of the Sheriff’s Department. After noticing the truck matching the description of the vehicle provided on the BOLO, Sergeant Jefferson immediately turned his unit around to follow the suspected stolen truck. Soon, Sergent Jefferson confirmed that the vehicle was indeed the same one that had been stolen at gunpoint, on Beersheba Highway. Sergeant Jefferson and another responding Deputy, Rusty Woodlee, of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department thereafter stopped James in the second stolen truck after initiating their blue lights. Given that they were responding to a violent felony in progress, both Sergeant Jefferson and Deputy Woodlee left their respective patrol units, drew their service weapons, and immediately ordered James to exit the vehicle. James ignored the Deputies’ commands and quickly drove away. Sergeant Jefferson and Deputy Woodlee immediately returned to their patrol units to pursue James further. Sergeant Jay Hutchings, Sergeant Evan Cooper and Officer Larry Holiday, all with the McMinnville Police Department, quickly joined the pursuit of James and the second stolen truck.
After initially fleeing the stop by Sergeant Jefferson and Deputy Woodlee, James quickly sped away on Bobby Ray Memorial Parkway (TN-55) toward Morrison. However, he quickly exited TN-55 heading toward Woodbury on US-70S (hereinafter “Nashville Highway”). As he was nearing the exit ramp, James stuck his arm out of the driver side window of the stolen truck he was driving and fired a first volley of several shots from his 9mm firearm, primarily at Sergeant Jefferson and Deputy Woodlee as they pursued him in the lead. Then, as McMinnville Police Department took over the pursuit on the exit ramp to Nashville Highway, due to Sergeant Jefferson’s service vehicle not being able to keep up with James, James fired a second volley of rounds from his 9mm firearm by again sticking his arm out of the driver side window of the stolen truck and firing additional rounds at pursuing McMinnville Police Department law enforcement agents. In conclusion, James, with premeditation, attempted to murder five (5) local law enforcement officers on the morning of October 24, 2024.
In fact, two of the rounds fired by James struck Sergeant Jefferson’s service vehicle. One round struck the frame of Seargeant Jefferson’s service vehicle in a location that was level with Sergent Jefferson’s head, only missing Sergeant Jefferson’s head by a few inches. Another round fired by James struck Sergeant Jefferson’s service vehicle in the front driver’s side bumper area. Both rounds striking Sergeant Jefferson’s vehicle, ricocheted off the frame of his service vehicle, and did not penetrate the same.
After James fired at the pursuing law enforcement officers, lead pursuing law enforcement officer, Jay Hutchings returned fire, with his Glock Model 19 - 9mm service weapon, toward James. It was determined that Sergeant Hutchings fired approximately 24 rounds toward James and the vehicle James was driving as the vehicle pursuit continued outbound from McMinnville on Nashville Highway in the direction of Woodbury. At least one (1) round fired by Sergeant Hutchings struck the quickly moving pickup truck driven erratically in front of him by James. However, James was not personally struck by any round of ammunition during the exchange of gunfire between Sergeant Hutchings and James.
As the pursuit approached the end of the five (5) lane paved section of Nashville Highway traveling outbound, approximately a quarter (0.25) of a mile from the Old Nashville Highway intersection, James made a decision to further evade quickly approaching law enforcement units by switching his lane of travel into oncoming traffic. Rather than choose to stop or travel with the direction of traffic incoming toward McMinnville, James continued to drive the second stolen truck, in the wrong lane of travel, as he passed approximately five (5) additional victims, as he approached each victim head-on, one-by-one, as James traveled at speeds estimated in excess of 90mph. The law enforcement officers pursuing James never changed lanes but rather mirrored James’s direction in the correct lane of travel going outbound from McMinnville toward Woodbury on Nashville Highway. After James had traveled nearly a mile on the wrong side of Nashville Highway at high speeds, while endangering the lives of other innocent third parties, James made another decision that proved fatal. James’s final criminal decision was to quickly turn his stolen truck into the oncoming path of the vehicle occupied by Mrs. Prater, at the intersection of Castle Street and Nashville Highway. James’s further criminal conduct occurred at the same time Mrs. Prater was traveling eastbound and inbound toward McMinnville on Nashville Highway, in her correct lane of travel, and in a completely lawful manner. This final action by James took the precious life of a treasured member of our community and a dear family member and friend to many, Mrs. Phyllis Prater.
Mrs. Prater was wearing her seatbelt and minding her own business that morning. She was traveling under the speed limit. James on the other hand was traveling head-on and directly in Mrs. Prater’s direction at a calculated speed of 79mph at the time of the tragic collision. Mrs. Prater and her loved ones lost it all on October 24, 2024. The other estimated sixteen (16) victims of James’s violent felony spree also lost their property and/or their right to a sense of security on that tragic day. However, none of these victims’ losses were the result of any act of criminal conduct, aside from the criminal conduct and decisions made by Brandon Thomas James (DOB 10/14/2000).
Some will undoubtedly question law enforcement’s pursuit of James in this matter and may even tend to lay blame at law enforcement’s feet for the decisions that James made of his own accord. However, it is clear that law enforcement was merely attempting to stop a dangerous and violent felon. He was on a rampage of death, and our law enforcement community acted lawfully and properly under the dangerous circumstances that presented themselves.
I can foresee the argument coming from a few that a law should be enacted that mandates that law enforcement break off pursuit any time a dangerous felon flees in a motor vehicle. However, the unintended consequences of any such law would undoubtedly result in chaos, lawlessness and anarchy because anyone who wanted to commit violent felonies such as robbery, murder, aggravated child abuse, elder abuse, and/or rape, could simply avoid capture and prosecution by fleeing in a motor vehicle. In addition, other innocent victims would certainly face threats of danger by allowing any dangerous suspected felon to flee capture under any such future and ill-conceived law. Clearly, that should not and hopefully will not ever be the state of the law in a “law-and-order” state, such as Tennessee.
Given that the only criminal actor in this matter, Brandon Thomas James (DOB 10/14/2000), is deceased, there is no prosecution that can proceed based on all of the evidence, applicable law, and the requirements of justice. My office stands firm in our commitment to pursuing guilt while protecting innocence, as I believe my office has accomplished in evaluating this matter.
However, I am not at all unsympathetic to the most significant loss experienced by her loved ones and our community’s beloved, Phyllis Prater (formerly “Byars”). To the contrary, Mrs. Prater’s loss, and the loss of any innocent life at the hand of a criminal on a violent felony crime spree, should be treated with the utmost seriousness and introspection by all government officials in a position to effect positive change. If our law enforcement community and/or military are not given the resources to keep us safe in foreseeable dangerous circumstances, our taxpayer dollars are not being well spent. After all, what is the point of any government that fails to fund the resources needed to keep its citizens safe, first and foremost.
As a result of this case, I learned from a family member of Mrs. Prater that there is technology available to law enforcement to track any violent offender that flees in a motor vehicle. A leading company that provides such technology is called Starchase, LLC. This company provides GPS solutions for high-speed pursuit alternatives. My understanding is that this technology essentially allows a laser-guided GPS tracker to be launched from the front of an equipped and pursuing law enforcement vehicle, which thereafter attaches to the rear of the fleeing vehicle driven by or occupying any violent felon. Funding and employing this technology locally would allow for speeds to reduce while law enforcement units stealthily coordinated their efforts to surround and secure the vehicle and/or the occupant violent felony suspect(s), using the GPS coordinates provided by use of this technology. However, securing and deploying this advanced safety technology costs significant sums of money and the respective county commissions and boards of mayor and alderman of local jurisdictions will have to decide if the costs are warranted and available given the budget constraints deemed most important to these local elected representatives and their constituents.
I welcome any reforms that focus taxpayer dollars on solutions designed to keep all of our citizens as safe as possible, going forward. After all, what is the point of us, the taxpayers, funding a government that fails to fund reasonable, available and/or necessary safety measures, first and foremost, for its citizens. The Starchase technology is not the only technology needs our local law enforcement agencies experience that continue to go unfunded by local legislatures. Thus, it is my opinion that spending priorities must be reassessed, and the citizens’ safety must be prioritized by local government spending going forward.
In closing, I pray that peace and solidarity will surround our community and the victims of this violent felony crime spree. Our society is undoubtedly under attack by criminal forces every day. Split-second decisions must be made by law enforcement officials facing deadly force, at an ever-increasing rate, on our streets. The significant stakes of these deadly criminal forces in our society are the lives of our law enforcement guardians and the lives of every citizen that may find themselves in the face of danger from the criminal element at any given time. I further pray that we will all rally around the Prater and Byars families, as well as all other victims of this senseless crime spree, and may God continue to pour out blessings and comfort all who were so traumatically impacted in our community on October 24, 2024.