Holly MatkinLouisville, KY – The convicted felon accused of shooting a Hendersonville police officer in Tennessee was killed in a shootout with Kentucky State Police (KSP) on Wednesday night.
Samuel Edwards, 34, was wanted for attempted criminal homicide and evading arrest in connection with the June 27 shooting of Hendersonville Police Officer Cameron Ferrell, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said in a tweet.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday night that Edwards was killed “in an exchange of gunfire with Kentucky State Police.”
The series of events leading to the initial shooting began at approximately 8 p.m. on June 27, when Officer Ferrell ran the plates of a black van traveling along Vietnam Veterans Parkway, WTVF reported.
The plates were registered to a different vehicle, so the officer attempted to pull the driver over.
But police said the driver, later identified as Edwards, refused to stop.
“The pursuit traveled from Vietnam Veterans Parkway, down the interstate and off here at Old Hickory Boulevard in Davidson County,” NMPD Spokesperson Don Aaron told WTVF. “According to the Hendersonville officer, the suspect was firing shots almost immediately after the pursuit began, back at his police vehicle.”
At least one bullet traveled through the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle’s windshield, photos released by the MNPD showed.
Officer Ferrell was hit by the suspect’s gunfire.
Police said Edwards sped off and ultimately ditched his black van on Gibson Drive, WTVF reported.
A home security camera showed him carrying two firearms shortly before he allegedly stole a white Chevrolet Silverado from the driveway of a nearby residence, according to police.
Investigators said the keys to the pickup had been left inside the vehicle.
The wounded Hendersonville police officer was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where his injuries were determined to be non-life threatening, WTVF reported.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued a Blue Alert for Edwards.
“He should be considered armed and very dangerous,” the TBI said on Tuesday morning, according to the Tennessean.
The stolen pickup truck was later found abandoned in Millersville, Tennessee, but Edwards was not immediately located, WAGA reported.
Sumner County Sheriff’s Office K9 units and other law enforcement personnel began searching the area near Interstate 65 by Millersville, to include shutting down the southbound lanes of the interstate, WSVM reported.
“Two police tracking dogs tracked the suspect into the wooded area on I-65 between the north and southbound lanes south of Bethel Road,” the City of Millersville said at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, according to WSMV.
“We have since received creditable information that the suspect is no longer in our immediate area,” the city said. “However, until the suspect is in custody we are asking our citizens to remain vigilant, keep their doors locked, and notify law enforcement of any suspicious activity or possible sightings of the suspect.”
Details regarding the shootout between Edwards and KSP have not been released.
Edwards had a 17-page criminal history in Tennessee that began in 2005, when he was 18 years old, WKRN reported.
His list of prior offenses included weapons, drugs, and crimes of violence.
Edwards was sentenced to five years in prison on drug offenses and a fifth DUI in 2017, but he was released back onto the streets in 2019, according to WKRN.
He was out on bond on charges of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, methamphetamine possession, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, and driving with a revoked license when he allegedly shot Officer Ferrell.
That arrest stemmed from an incident in Putnam County on June 14, during which Edwards allegedly opened fire on another vehicle while driving on Interstate 40 near mile marker 301, WKRN reported.
The TBI said one of its officers saw the shooting and began chasing the armed suspect down the interstate.
Edwards pulled over at one point, but then accelerated again and led the officer on a high-speed chase until he ultimately lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a ditch and a power pole, WKRN reported.
The suspect’s female passenger was ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
The officer held Edwards at gunpoint and ordered him to surrender, at which point the convicted felon reached into his waistband and “drew down” on the officer “as if he had a weapon,” according to the TBI.
The officer did not see a gun, so he did not fire at the suspect, WKRN reported.
Edwards continued to resist arrest but was ultimately taken into custody.
Investigators said they found multiple firearms, cash, and methamphetamine inside the suspect’s vehicle.
The female passenger who was ejected in the crash was treated for broken bones and has since been released from the hospital, WKRN reported.
