Robbery suspect arrested after attempt to steal car, police say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Police in Nashville, Tennessee, arrested an armed robbery suspect and his alleged accomplice after they say the former tried to steal a delivery driver’s car.

According to police, a delivery driver was going back to his car Friday on S. 5th Street when 24-year-old Emmanuel West appeared from behind the vehicle and demanded the driver’s keys, wallet and cell phone. The driver complied.

Police say that once West got the keys to the vehicle, he realized the car was equipped with a manual transmission and that he did not know how to operate it, WSMV reports.

According to police, West left the vehicle and then proceeded to rob a woman on Shelby Avenue who was waiting for the school bus to drop off her child.

Police say the delivery driver found an officer who broadcasted the suspect’s description, leading to West’s capture near S. 6th and Sylvan Streets.

Officers then tracked the cell phone of the delivery driver to an apartment on S. 5th Street and located 28-year-old Jesse Thompson. Officers believe Thompson provided West the gun and then got it back from him after the robberies. They located the gun at Thompson’s apartment.

West was charged with two counts of robbery and felony gun possession. Thompson was charged with aggravated robbery.

At the time of his arrest, police say that Thompson was free on bond in connection with his November 2019 arrest on charges of aggravated robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, felony reckless endangerment, vandalism and evading arrest.

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