One Suspect Wanted for Shooting a Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper in Putnam County is Captured in Kentucky, Search for Another Continues
Photo courtesy of WVLT

One Suspect Wanted for Shooting a Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper in Putnam County is Captured in Kentucky, Search for Another Continues

Updated story:

One of the suspects in the shooting of a Tennessee State Trooper during a traffic stop on I-40 in Putnam County is arrested in Kentucky.

Kentucky State Police took Braze Rucker, one of the suspects in Trooper Adam Cothron’s shooting, into custody. THP says they used Trooper Cothron’s handcuffs to take Rucker into custody.

Authorities are still searching for the other suspect in that shooting and have doubled the reward to $20,000. If you have any information, please call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

The shooting happened Friday night and Cothron was taken to the hospital. His family says he is doing much better.

The family of the Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Adam Cothran who was shot during a traffic stop on I-40 in Putnam County asking you to keep those prayers coming.

Trooper Cothran was shot Friday night and his family says he’s getting some muscle response movements in his legs now and his arms are improving as well.

The bullet will remain where it’s at unless his body starts to try getting rid it of on its own but doctors say it should not cause any problems to leave it.

The good news: the bullet is not lodged in his spinal column like originally thought. It’s actually in his right scapula area and almost exited.

His family says it gives them hope that recovery of mobility in his legs will be better.

PUTNAM CO., Tenn. (WVLT) – Kentucky State Police took Braze Rucker, one of the suspects in the Tennessee Highway Patrol shooting, into custody early Sunday morning. THP said the trooper, Adam Cothron, was shot during a traffic stop in Putnam County.

Rucker was found in Princeton, Kentucky. THP said they used Trooper Cothron’s handcuffs to take Rucker into custody.

Eastbound lanes of I-40 were closed Friday night after a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper was shot.

THP officials said the shooting happened around mile marker 285 at 7:47 p.m.

Trooper Adam Cothron pulled over a white Kia Forte, with two black males inside, for a traffic violation. One of the men was identified as 29-year-old Braze Rucker.

During the stop, Cothron was shot and the men drove off, according to officials.

Cothron was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and was in stable condition.

Before joining THP in 2015, Cothron was a deputy sheriff for the Trousdale County Sheriff’s Office.

“He is a certified K-9 handler and is an outstanding trooper and comes from a respected law enforcement family, but what he is best known for is being a father and a husband to his wonderful family,” THP officials said. “We ask that you please keep him and his family in your prayers.”

The car was found later in Gallatin, according to THP officials.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a Blue Alert for the two suspects.

THP has also added a $10,000 reward for information leading to Rucker’s arrest.

Both agencies obtained warrants for Rucker’s arrest for criminal responsibility of facilitation of a felony.

Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.

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