MT. JULIET, Tenn. -
Mt. Juliet police say a Nashville medical facility is to blame for accidentally releasing a patient who should've gone to jail on several felony counts following a police pursuit last week.
According to Mt Juliet police Chief Andy Garrett, a woman later identified as Lisa McCann led officers on a lengthy chase on Interstate 40 during the early morning hours of May 14.
Chief Garrett told Nashville's News 2 one of his officers found McCann sleeping in the back seat of a car parked at a rest area on I-40 just past Mt. Juliet.
"He checked on her welfare and some of her answers didn't pan out so she took off," Garrett explained.
Police ran the vehicle's tag and the car came back stolen from St Louis, Missouri.
A low speed pursuit ensued and officers were forced to lay down spike strips.
McCann crashed near the Watertown exit and was taken into custody with incident.
Chief Garrett says officers with the Wilson County Emergency Management Agency transported McCann to University Medical Center in Lebanon.
From there, Wilson County sheriff's deputies transported her to Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute in Nashville.
"It was for her safety and well being," Chief Garrett explained. "We didn't know if she was a danger to herself or not. There were some prescription medications in the vehicle and we were just playing it safe."
He learned Tuesday morning the mental health institute let McCann go.
"She was brought in and logged in under the arrest name and she gave them a false name and claimed she was homeless so they just released her," Garrett said, adding that he has no idea where McCann is now.
Calls by Nashville's News 2 Investigates to Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute went unreturned.
McCann faces charges of DUI, possessing a stolen vehicle, possessing of prescription pills and having a fake ID for showing officers a license from Indiana.
Anyone with information on McCann's whereabouts should call Mt. Juliet police.
