Two men are being sought by authorities after a police chase from Bradley County into Polk County and a stabbing in Athens, Tennessee.
Police had been searching for David Rodriguez Cruz in connection with a Jan. 22 stabbing in Athens when Cleveland officers Wednesday spotted a white SUV believed to be occupied by a known associate of Cruz’s, Cleveland police spokesperson Capt. Evie West said. Cruz has been charged with attempted murder.
The vehicle pulled over.
“The car had tinted windows, so we couldn’t see who was in the car or who was even driving,” West said by phone of officers’ actions. “When they went up to approach the car, he turned around and almost hit the officers and took off.”
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Polk County authorities got the call as a pursuit in progress headed east on U.S. Highway 64, according to police there. The chase continued onto U.S. Highway 411 until reaching the intersection with Highway 314 in Benton, Tennessee, where the chase ended at an abandoned vehicle. The occupants had apparently fled on foot, and drones and police dogs were used to search the area, but without success.
Initially, Cruz was erroneously reported as the driver of the fleeing vehicle, West said, but the person believed to be the driver has since been identified as Thomas Larry Burns, 41. It’s not certain whether Cruz and Burns are connected.
“This could have something to do with Cruz, and it could not have something to do with Cruz,” West said. “No one saw Cruz in the car. No one knows if Cruz was in the car.”
Either way, authorities are searching for both men, according to police. Burns now faces charges including three counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement and felony evading arrest stemming from the Wednesday chase, and he is also wanted on an unrelated Bradley County warrant for theft over $2,500.
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Investigators urge anyone with any information about either Cruz or Burns to call 911 immediately. The public is advised not to approach the men.
Contact Southeast Tennessee reporter Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.
