A Nashville district attorney is under scrutiny and now facing legal trouble after allegedly opening fire and endangering a woman and her child during a high-stakes fugitive chase.
Nashville district attorney indicted
Christopher Stanford, the official responsible for handling cases in Van Buren and Warren counties, was indicted on Monday for reckless endangerment charges tied to a November 21 incident in Smithville.
The case revolves around an intense pursuit involving three suspects connected to a brutal triple homicide.
Stanford, alongside officers from the Warren and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Departments and a Homeland Security
Agent, participated in the urgent effort to apprehend the fugitives—Caleb Dias Brookins, 28; Hannah McKenzi Rose, 21; and Jessica Root, also 28.
Footage from the chaotic scene reportedly captures Stanford discharging his gun multiple times toward a car after it struck another officer.
The vehicle was rapidly fleeing through a residential area before the shots landed dangerously close to an apartment building, where a mother and her 3-year-old daughter were nearly hit.
Nashville district attorney charged with reckless endangerment
According to the indictment, Stanford’s actions were described as “unlawful, intentional and reckless.”
It also alleges he fired his weapon without proper aim, essentially just extending his arm and pulling the trigger.
Camera footage highlights the dramatic moment when Stanford, seen on the left side of the frame, opens fire as the suspects’ vehicle runs over the Homeland Security agent.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation revealed that bullets eventually penetrated a nearby apartment occupied by the woman and her children, causing what could have been a catastrophic outcome.
Authorities later confirmed that all three fugitives—Brookins, Rose, and Root—had been detained.
Brookins and Root face charges tied to three counts of criminal homicide, while Rose is dealing with evading arrest and aggravated assault accusations.
The Homeland Security official who was struck by the suspects’ car sustained injuries and required hospitalization.
District Attorney Bryant Dunaway addressed the alarming situation in a social media post, confirming the agent’s condition and providing updates.
DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray shed light on the timeline of the incident in a statement to the Smithville Review.
He recounted the scene, explaining, “The female driving the car [Rose] rammed a DeKalb Sheriff’s Department truck. They were trying to get away and ran up into a yard at a residence on Bell Street.”
According to the sheriff, it was at this point that Stanford decided to fire his weapon but failed to hit the suspects or their vehicle.
Stanford issued his own statement to WTVF-TV, justifying his actions as a measure of self-defense after the moment when the Homeland Security agent was struck.
“The vehicle then drove toward me and others, accelerating quickly. I fired my service weapon in defense of myself and others at the scene,” he remarked.
“Based upon my training and the circumstances that presented themselves, I believe my actions were necessary and justified,” Stanford added.
Investigators from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have provided further clarification regarding the violent confrontation.
According to their statement, agents initiated an inquiry into “the incident involving 31st Judicial District Attorney General Christopher Robert Stanford” immediately after it occurred.
They concluded that during the pursuit of wanted fugitives, Stanford recklessly discharged his firearm on Bell Street, endangering innocent civilians in the process.
Tennessee DA was chasing down murderers
The suspects Brookins and Root have been accused of the cold-blooded murders of three individuals later identified as William Piechocniski, Dana Ramsden, and Otis Hawks II.
Their victims were found deceased in McMinnville, with both Brookins and Root directly tied to the horrific crime.
Meanwhile, Rose’s charges primarily relate to her actions in aiding their escape efforts during the chaotic chase.
Stanford turned himself in at the DeKalb County Jail shortly after his indictment and managed to secure his release on a $10,000 bond.
Stanford’s next scheduled court date is set for January 7, where he will face the serious charges stemming from his alleged misconduct.
