WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – Williamson County authorities teamed up to take down a group of alleged thieves from Memphis who police said were caught red handed, breaking into a Dodge muscle car in Cool Springs.
It all happened early Friday morning when an alert Brentwood police officer on patrol in the Mallory Lane area saw a Ford Mustang near a Dodge Challenger.
Two men in hoodies were reportedly lurking around.
According to the arrest affidavit, when officers turned on their lights and identified themselves as Brentwood police officers, the men jumped in the Mustang and took off at a high rate of speed toward one of the officers.
The officer was able to deploy spike strips, which hit at least one tire on the Mustang.
Authorities later determined the Mustang was reported stolen in 2021. It also had a stolen license plate.
According to Brentwood police, two of the alleged thieves were both ex-cons out of Memphis; they have been identified as 39-year-old Robert Maness Jr. and 24-year-old Jordan Seals.
The Department of Correction said Seals was convicted of robbery in 2018. He bounced between county jail and community supervision for that charge between Oct. 19, 2019 through Jan. 10, 2022.
Maness was charged with theft of property worth $1,000-$10,000 and possession of Schedule II drugs (meth, $100,000 fine) on Feb. 11, 2016. He was on community supervision until March 7, 2018, until he was brought into custody for absconding. His sentence expired on Aug. 31, 2019.
Video from multiple police units showed officers pursuing the Mustang north on I-65 where speeds reached over 90 mph.
The vehicle exited onto Concord Road and doubled back to Cool Springs Boulevard.
At this time, Williamson County deputies joined the chase.
Video shows the rear left tire come completely off the Mustang as it crossed Mallory Lane into the wrong lane of traffic on Cool Springs Boulevard.
Speeds for the Mustang, which was sliding on rims, ranged between 30 and 50 mph.
Finally, at the intersection of Mack Hatcher Parkway and Cool Springs Boulevard, the men bailed into a dark construction zone by hopping a fence. Williamson County deputies and Brentwood police officers chased after them.
Body camera footage from deputy showed the moment Maness was taken into custody.
“Show hands. Show hands now. I will tase you. I will tase you. On the ground. Do not run from me. Show me your hands,” the deputy said.
Authorities searched the stolen mustang and found burglary tools, a sawzall, and a window punch which police said the alleged thieves used to break the windows of the Dodge Challenger.
Officers also found a hand gun at Mallory Lane and Moore’s Lane. Police said the gun was a 9 mm Springfield XD pistol that had been stolen out of Memphis.
Both Maness and Seals are in the Williamson County Jail under $77,000 bonds. They are charged with burglary of a vehicle, theft of property over $10,000, possession of burglary tools, simple possession, unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon, theft involving a firearm, and evading arrest.
Brentwood police said they know the identity of a third person, who is still at large.
