Fleeing suspect fires at deputy

By Eddie West Staff Writer

A man faces charges after firing multiple shots at sheriffs department deputy while attempting to flee in a vehicle.

Seth Mason Tunnicliff, 22, Murfreesboro, faces as many as 10 charges after allegedly admitting to an officer to firing “two to three” shots at sheriff’s department Sgt. Levi Grigg’s patrol vehicle during a four county pursuit which ended in Rutherford County.

The shots were fired early on in the pursuit and at least one of the shots struck Sgt. Grigg’s patrol vehicle, according to an offense report filed by Sgt. Grigg, who was attempting to stop Tunnicliff on Alexandria Highway near the New Middleton community for speeding.

During the investigation, Tunnicliff allegedly told sheriffs department K-9 Deputy Brady Dodson  “he fired two to three shots backwards during the pursuit and that his reasoning was he wanted me (deputy) to back off”, according to Sgt. Grigg’s offense report.

The incident began when Sgt. Grigg clocked Tunnicliff traveling 82 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour speed zone on Alexandria Highway.

The vehicle which Tunnicliff was driving had exited  Interstate 40 onto Alexandria Highway and failed to yield to the officer’s blue lights, resulting in the pursuit, according to Sgt. Grigg’s report.

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