Breaking: Second suspect in shooting of THP trooper arrested in Davidson County

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – One of the suspects accused in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper has been returned to Tennessee following his weekend arrest in Kentucky.

THP said Braze Rucker, the passenger of the Kia Forte used in the shooting of Trooper Adam Cothron was extradited back to Cookeville on Monday and taken to the Putnam County Jail.

Rucker has been booked into the jail on charges stemming from the shooting.

He was arrested Sunday morning in Princeton, Kentucky after being placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list.

Rucker and an unidentified occupant of a vehicle are accused of shooting Cothron on Interstate 40 near the Willow Avenue exit (Exit 285) just before 8 p.m. Friday. He and his accomplice fled after the shooting and dumped the white Kia Forte later Friday night near Highway 109 in Gallatin.

Cothron is stable after being flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Friday night, a THP spokesperson said Saturday morning.

The THP did not say if the driver of the car who has not been publicly identified has been captured. The TBI said efforts to identify the second person are ongoing.

Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Tennessee’s big shopping weekend is just days away. From Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28, the state will have its annual sales tax holiday.

During the holiday, Tennesseans can save nearly 10% on qualifying clothing, school supplies and computers, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

According to the state, shoppers can purchase clothes and school supplies tax-free if they are priced at $100 or less and buy computers tax-free if they are $1500 or less.

“Tennessee’s commitment to strong fiscal stewardship has allowed our state to cut taxes and put dollars back in the pockets of hardworking Tennesseans,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “I encourage every Tennessee family to take advantage of back-to-school savings and thank the General Assembly for partnering to provide direct financial relief for taxpayers.”

What is tax-free?

• General apparel that costs $100 or less per item, such as shirts, pants, socks, shoes, dresses, etc.
• School and art supplies with a purchase of $100 or less per item including the following:
  • Binders
  • Backpacks
  • Crayons
  • Paper
  • Pens
  • Pencils
  • Rulers
  • Art supplies
• Computers for personal use with a purchase of $1500 or less
• Laptop computers, if priced at $1500 or less, as well as tablet computers
• Prom dresses
• Scout uniforms
• Shawls and wraps
• Ski masks
• Sleepwear
• Socks, stockings, suspenders
• Textbooks
• Ties/neckwear
• Tuxedo
• Undergarments
• Underwear
• Uniforms: Athletic or non-athletic
• Vests, except for hunting or weather
• Wedding gowns: $100 or less rule applies
• Workbooks

For a full list of exempt items, click here.

What isn’t tax-free?

• Apparel that costs more than $100
• Art supplies sold together cannot be split up to stay beneath $100
• Ballet or tap shoes
• Belt buckles
• Breathing masks
• Bridal apparel, other than gowns or veils
• Briefcases
• Cell phones
• Computer Software
• Computer storage
• Cosmetics
• Electronic readers
• Emblems
• Hair notions
• Hard hats
• Hearing protectors
• Household appliances
• Items sold together, such as shoes, cannot be split up to stay beneath the $100 maximum
• Jewelry and handbags
• Maps
• Paints that are not defined as school art supplies
• Paintbrushes not used for artwork
• Patches
• Printer supplies: Printer ink, paper, supplies, etc.
• Protective and sports goggles
• Protective and sports gloves
• Reference books
• Safety glasses
• School and art supplies individually priced at more than $100
• Sewing equipment and supplies: Fabric, yarn, sewing needles
• Sports and recreational equipment
  • Roller and ice skates
  • Ski boots
  • Skin diving suits
  • Sports guards
• Storage media including flash drives and compact disks
• Tool belts
• Video game consoles
• Wallets
• Zippers

Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.

Tennessee will kick off its 2024 football season in 40 days.

The Vols will open its upcoming campaign on Aug. 31 against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 12:45 p.m. EDT and SEC Network will televise the contest.

2024 will be the fourth season for Tennessee under head coach Josh Heupel. In his first three seasons, Heupel is 27-12 and guided the Vols to three bowl games.

The Vols finished 9-4 (4-4 SEC) last season.

With 40 days remaining until the start of the 2024 football season, Vols Wire looks back at Tennessee student-athletes who wore No. 40.

All time players to wear No. 40 at Tennessee:

Ralph Eldred (1937-38)

Webster Hubbell (1939-41)

Don Shipley (1945)

Dillard Whittier (1946)

Bobby Brengle (1952-54)

Al Carter (1955-57)

Bobby Finley (1958-59)

Jake Pope (1960)

Hal Wantland (1963)

Mike Mondelli (1965-67)

Mike Jones (1968-69)

Kevin Milam (1971)

Ernie Ward (1973-75)

Bobby Emmons (1976-78)

Lyon Fleming (1979)

Bill Bates (1980-82)

Lavosier Fisher (1983-85)

Shazzon Bradley (1988-1991)

Chris Harris (1993)

Billy Ratliff (1996-99)

Dustin Colquitt (2001)

Nick Reviez (2007)

Jake Story (2009)

Chris Cates (2010-11)

Austin Johnson (2008-11)

Raiques Crump (2012-13)

Alex Ellis (2012-13)

Dimarya Mixon (2014-16)

Nick Humphrey (2017)

J.J. Peterson (2018)

Fred Orr (2019-20)

Donovan Slates (2021)

Chase McGrath (2021-22)

Kalib Perry (2022-23)

*Source: 2023 Tennessee Football Media Guide