CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A Cheatham County deputy put his life on the line Wednesday night while pursuing a convicted felon with a history of violent crimes.

This all went down in Kingston Springs on Wednesday, Aug. 13. Cpl. Ronald Perkins from the Cheatham County Sheriff's Office was on patrol and spotted a black Chevy Malibu at the Thorntons gas station along Luyben Hills Road. Perkins noticed the vehicle had an expired tag dating back to January 2024.

"The danger that he put people in over a minor infraction, and it would have been a citation for expired tags, no insurance, and driving on a revoked license, and he turned it into more than it had to be," Perkins explained.

Perkins encountered the Malibu at a Kingston Springs motel, but after the car zoomed past the deputy, Perkins activated his lights. That's when the driver -- later identified as 32-year-old Bobby Barrett -- sped off.

On the footage from inside the law enforcement vehicle, you can hear the corporal saying, "He just blew through a stoplight, almost hit another car."

A check of Barrett's criminal history uncovered many arrests in the Nashville area, including unlawful exposure and aggravated assault in 2022, as well as aggravated burglary and aggravated stalking in 2023.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said Barrett was originally convicted of aggravated assault in Shelby County in 2019. He was in prison until 2022.

Then, back in April, Barrett was convicted of aggravated assault and aggravated stalking, the according to DOC officials. The Nashville-Davidson County District Attorney's Office said Barrett was sentenced to four years of supervised probation and had to go to Mental Health Cooperative.

During Wednesday's chase, Perkins said the suspect was driving over 80 mph in downtown Kingston Springs before crashing.

On the dash camera footage, you can see a female passenger jumping out of the vehicle and almost getting run over by the 32-year-old driver, who took off again.

"What are you thinking when a person pops out of a vehicle after a guy wrecks?" News 2's Andy Cordan asked.

"It's a little concerning because you're not sure what's going to happen when the door opens. She was surprised at what was going on, a little terrified," the corporal replied.

A short time later, Barrett crashed a second time. Once again, a passenger got out of the car and surrendered.

"My main concern was getting the driver and getting him off the streets because he was going to get somebody hurt," Perkins said.

Later in the pursuit, Barrett's car -- now badly damaged -- wrecked a third time.

"His car was smoking pretty bad. I'm giving him commands to get out of the car, show me his hands," Perkins recalled.

However, the convicted felon still managed to drive away, clipping the front of Perkins' vehicle.

"His back end of his tire on his passenger side struck the front of my patrol car," Perkins described.

Shortly afterward, Barrett bailed from the damaged vehicle.

"I'm assuming he knew he wasn't going to get away," the corporal said.

Perkins called for a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter and the agency arrived in less than 10 minutes, according to the corporal.

Officials said THP used thermal imaging to pinpoint the suspect hiding in a neighborhood and then told ground units exactly where to find Barrett.

Dash cam footage from Sgt. Jeremy Vaughan with the Kingston Springs Police Department shows Vaughan driving up on the running suspect and then using an electronic shock device help bring the chase to an end.

Barrett was arrested and charged with a host of crimes, including reckless endangerment, evading arrest, resisting arrest, and assault on a law enforcement officer. As of publication, he's still being held in the Cheatham County Jail.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/man-arrested-after-crashing-3-times-during-chase-in-cheatham-county/