NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Metro officer who was shot while responding to a parking lot burglary call has filed a lawsuit against the parking lot company.
Detective Donovan Coble was shot in the side while chasing a car burglary suspect in Donelson in June 2023. He was chasing a car burglary suspect at The Parking Spot, a lot near Nashville International Airport.
He was seriously injured when he was shot with a gun that was reportedly taken from the center console of an SUV parked in the lot.
The lawsuit claims the gun used to shoot Coble was taken from a vehicle that the valet left unlocked. The parking company is accused of being reckless with how it handled security, given a history of crimes in the parking lot.
In the body camera video provided by Metro police, Coble and his partner arrive at the location and chase after the burglary suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Delama Casimir, after they ordered him to show them his hands. Casimir then ran from the officers and hopped over a wooden fence.
The officers hopped the fence as well and followed Casimir, chasing him into what appeared to be the backyard of a home while ordering him to stop. During the chase, Metro police reported Casimir pointed a .380 semi-automatic pistol over his shoulder in Coble’s direction and fired, hitting Coble in the side. Casimir then ran into a heavy brush pile behind the home. Police said they believe Casimir was wounded as Coble returned fire.
A SWAT tactical team later found Casimir in a brush pile behind a home on Upshaw Drive. Coble’s partner shouted shot Casimir after he saw the pistol he shot Coble with earlier.
Coble is seeking compensatory damages for bodily injuries, medical expenses, loss of wages and loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent impairment and other related expenses, all past and future, in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000.000.
So far this year, 503 guns have been reported stolen in Davidson County with 351 of them stolen from vehicles and 55 taken from vehicles in just the past week. That means nearly 70% of guns stolen so far have been taken from vehicles.
