MNPD Aviation Unit helps make over 150 arrests

Mye Owens
·2 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – It’s an extra set of eyes helping the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) track down criminals from a different perspective.

For 21 minutes, at 2,000 feet in the air, they had one goal: tracking down suspects in a white car.

“Once we get eyes on a bad guy, they’re generally not going to get away from us,” said Cmdr. Michael Baujan of the MNPD’s Aviation Unit.

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On Wednesday, May 15, a police pursuit led to the arrest of five teens, ranging between the ages of 13 and 18.

Police said the group put a gun to a woman’s head outside of a store on Lafayette Street in South Nashville and stole her car, but the police department’s Aviation Unit was there to track them down.

“That keeps us from having to pursue vehicles. You know yesterday, 21 minutes, that would have been a long pursuit if we would have had ground guys having to stay with them for that long. So it keeps not only the officers safe, but the public safe as well,” explained Baujan.

The pursuit stemmed from a carjacking, a crime the MNPD has been working to combat. According to police, last year the department tracked 249 carjackings. So far this year, they are reporting 76 in Nashville.

“There’s no better policing than an aircraft following a specific vehicle that has just committed a crime and telling the ground guys where to go to get them into custody,” Baujan said.

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So far this year, data shows the MNPD’s Aviation Unit has assisted in several arrests and recoveries:

  • 177 arrests

  • 64 vehicles recovered

  • 60 firearms recovered

  • 1,287 grams of marijuana recovered

  • 120,055 fentanyl pills recovered

During Tuesday’s arrest, three firearms were seized.

“They were able to safely keep an eye on that vehicle for roughly 21 minutes until the ground guys,” said Baujan. “The bad guys bailed from the vehicle and ground guys went in and got all five of them in custody.”

Even high in the air, the Aviation Unit’s camera can zoom in and capture the moment. In this case, the camera caught the moment all five suspects bailed from the car and ran.

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“Another thing with that camera system, it has the infrared on it,” Baujan explained. “The infrared going back and forth to the regular camera to infrared, so when they go to infrared we’re able to see heat signatures. So if they were to throw a gun or throw a bag or throw something, they are going to see that.”

The 18-year-old who was arrested in Wednesday’s case was also convicted in February and was placed on probation, according to police. He is now facing multiple charges, including carjacking.

His bond has been set at $45,000.

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