Had something weird happen last night in Franklin

[tennesseetiger]

So last night I had to stop and get gas in the Franklin area right off of Interstate 65 at the Marathon gas station in front of Publix off of HWY 96 "if you know where that is". I pulled up and noticed a hispanic male sitting next to the garbage dumpsters to the right of the building...looked pretty out of place so I made sure to keep an eye on him while I was pumping gas. My windows are really really dark on my truck so I can use it to my advantage when I'm on the other side of the vehicle. I can kind of use it as a shield in a way if that makes sense...I acted completely oblivious and I was even whistling a song while I was standing with my back to the drivers side of my truck while pumping gas and I did that on purpose. I was using the reflections of the pump to watch what was going on behind me.

Then it got fun...

The guy I was watching left where he was sitting, snuck around some pumps, and hid behind the pump that was directly behind my back probably about 10-12 feet from the passenger side of my truck...he was rounding the corner coming towards the tailgate my truck when I turned around and made eye contact with him and he went running back towards the store.

I did call the Franklin Police Department and report him for being suspicious for obvious reasons...I didn't see signs of a gun or knife but thats the first time I've had somebody actually try to sneak up on me before like that. I was pretty mad about it when I got home and stayed upset through most of the night honestly. My wife actually said something that kind of made me feel a little better about it. She said something to the effect that be glad it was you and not somebody else because you usually pay attention to stuff like that when others don't. So that helped a little, but I'm still upset it happened obviously.

Just thought I would share my story...always be aware of whats going on around you my friends.

[Hozzie]

Thanks for the notice.  I live in Franklin and will keep an eye out there.  I was in that Publix yesterday.  What time was this?  

[tennesseetiger]

Thanks for the notice.  I live in Franklin and will keep an eye out there.  I was in that Publix yesterday.  What time was this?  

It was around 9ish last night after I left the gym. What is crazy is that Franklin PD parks MARKED police cars in the parking lot of that Publix and one was there last night as well but pretty much everybody around here knows nobody is ever in them...they just use that parking lot to store them over night it seems like. 

Correction, it was around 8pm not 9pm. I just looked at the logs in my phone and I called Franklin PD at 8:28pm and it happened shortly before that.

Edited October 26, 2015 by tennesseetiger

[maroonandwhite]

Thanks for the notice.  I live in Franklin and will keep an eye out there.  I was in that Publix yesterday.  What time was this?  

So you are hinting that this was you and you were just checking to see if he had a TGO sticker?? :rofl:
 Seriously though good on you for being aware. Gas pumps are one of my least favorite places.

Edited October 26, 2015 by maroonandwhite

[Hozzie]

Good to know.  Thanks again.  I will keep an eye out as I go by there to see if I see anyone loitering by the dumpsters.  I bet people like this go back to places they are comfortable doing it.

[Hozzie]

So you are hinting that this was you and you were just checking to see if he had a TGO sticker?? :rofl:
 Seriously though good on you for being aware. Gas pumps are one of my least favorite places.

 

Ha.  Yep, just trying to be friendly! :wave:

[tennesseetiger]

Ha.  Yep, just trying to be friendly! :wave:

Next time just say nice truck  :rofl:

[hlb14]

Thanks for the heads up, we live a half mile from there.

[zgunbear]

Score one for situational awareness

[Pete123]

Just goes to show that bad things can happen in the nice part of town as well.

[mootw]

Glad you're okay.  I have 3 daughters and I beat it into their heads about being aware of what is happening around them.  You just can't let your guard down.....even in Franklin, TN.

[Tedro2022]

they just use that parking lot to store them over night it seems like.
.

I have a buddy who works for Franklin PD, he's told me that I'm the past businesses can ask the PD to have an officer park their car in a lot overnight to make it appear that there's an officer there.
But if you're a criminal, you wanna take a chance that it's just a car? I wouldn't, but then again, I'm not a criminal either.
As said before, situational awareness probably saved you a headache. Good on you for paying attention. We should all do the same, no matter what part of town we live in.


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[Randall53]

I'm always aware of my surroundings. I've been that way since my early years in the Martial Arts. That was a long time ago, but I developed the habit and it has stayed with me all this time. My wife tells our friends I've got eyes in the back of my head because of things I see sometimes. LOL. I've drilled it into her too and she does a pretty good job now. I still prod her sometimes though to get better. Congrats on being alert!! You can't defend against something you miss seeing.

[southernasylum]

Thanks for the heads up. I don't frequent that spot much but I do once in a while. I am usually on high alert when stopping for gas. Seems lots of shady folks like to find a mark at gas stations.


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[FTE]

All those gas stations close to the interstate seem to attract scammers and potential crooks. Franklin police are usually very quick to respond.


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[JAB]

I have a buddy who works for Franklin PD, he's told me that I'm the past businesses can ask the PD to have an officer park their car in a lot overnight to make it appear that there's an officer there.
But if you're a criminal, you wanna take a chance that it's just a car? I wouldn't, but then again, I'm not a criminal either.
As said before, situational awareness probably saved you a headache. Good on you for paying attention. We should all do the same, no matter what part of town we live in.


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Back in the '80s and possibly early 90's there was a patrol car that was always parked along a side street, facing the main street, right as you came in to Lenoir City from the Loudon direction here in East Tennessee.  It sat there for years on and off and although it looked like a 'speed trap' - I suppose to get people to slow down as they came over the hill and into town - everyone knew it was unoccupied.  Apparently, one time when the police went to move that cruiser they found that it had been partially stripped (the police radio was missing along with a few, other parts that wouldn't have been obvious just by looking at it as you drove by.)  Yep - some enterprising person had not only committed a theft with a police cruiser nearby but had actually stolen parts off of the cruiser, itself.

Edited October 27, 2015 by JAB

[TrickyNicky]

Back in the '80s and possibly early 90's there was a patrol car that was always parked along a side street, facing the main street, right as you came in to Lenoir City from the Loudon direction here in East Tennessee.  It sat there for years on and off and although it looked like a 'speed trap' - I suppose to get people to slow down as they came over the hill and into town - everyone knew it was unoccupied.  Apparently, one time when the police went to move that cruiser they found that it had been partially stripped (the police radio was missing along with a few, other parts that wouldn't have been obvious just by looking at it as you drove by.)  Yep - some enterprising person had not only committed a theft with a police cruiser nearby but had actually stolen parts off of the cruiser, itself.

 

 

:rofl: My dad had his unmarked cruiser broken into while having lunch once. Didn't get anything sensitive IIRC, but did take a nice ring of his. Some people, I'm surprised they can walk with balls that big or brains that small. :rolleyes:

[Erik88]

Back in the '80s and possibly early 90's there was a patrol car that was always parked along a side street, facing the main street, right as you came in to Lenoir City from the Loudon direction here in East Tennessee.  It sat there for years on and off and although it looked like a 'speed trap' - I suppose to get people to slow down as they came over the hill and into town - everyone knew it was unoccupied.  Apparently, one time when the police went to move that cruiser they found that it had been partially stripped (the police radio was missing along with a few, other parts that wouldn't have been obvious just by looking at it as you drove by.)  Yep - some enterprising person had not only committed a theft with a police cruiser nearby but had actually stolen parts off of the cruiser, itself.

 

KPD did this on I-40 for a long time too. One time I drove by and someone had placed an entire box of Dunkin Donuts on the hood.

 

Classic....

[Cyorke]

It was around 9ish last night after I left the gym. What is crazy is that Franklin PD parks MARKED police cars in the parking lot of that Publix and one was there last night as well but pretty much everybody around here knows nobody is ever in them...they just use that parking lot to store them over night it seems like.

Correction, it was around 8pm not 9pm. I just looked at the logs in my phone and I called Franklin PD at 8:28pm and it happened shortly before that.

Franklin PD officers can't take vehicles out of county. Most of the time you see them parked is because the officer lives out of county and parks his/her personal vehicle in the same spot when on duty. We have one that parks in our church parking lot. And discussed with an officer the does security at our church.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk Edited November 3, 2015 by Cyorke

[tennesseetiger]

Franklin PD officers can't take vehicles out of county. Most of the time you see them parked is because the officer lives out of county and parks his/her personal vehicle in the same spot when on duty. We have one that parks in our church parking lot. And discussed with an officer the does security at our church.

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That's pretty much what the dispatcher told me when I asked about it as well.

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[monkeylizard]

KPD did this on I-40 for a long time too. One time I drove by and someone had placed an entire box of Dunkin Donuts on the hood.

 

Classic....

 

It would be funny to stick one of those orange or green "Abandoned Vehicle" stickers on the back window. :D

[Clod Stomper]

At one time, KPD (or Knox County?) actually put dummies in the cars. Then told the media about it.

It was really effective.

[Pete123]

Referring back to the original post regarding the quick mart in Franklin near Publix.

 

I visited the Williamson County jail multiple times when working with a young guy that earned multiple felonies by stealing in order to pay for drugs.  He's been doing well for several years now.

 

So, back to the quick mart in question.  Williamson County is one of the most upscale counties anywhere.  I was surprised when I learned that they have murder suspects in custody more often than you would think.  

 

That quick mart is on the corner of Royal Oaks and Riverside Drive.  Going up the hill on Riverside from the quick mart, you pass Einstein's, Starbucks and then go straight into a hotel parking lot if you don't turn 90 degrees on Riverside.

 

The young man I referred to was in that hotel when the he was arrested.  My thinking is that if one person who was whacked out on drugs was hanging out there that there would be more.  If I'm correct, then it makes perfect sense that a derelict was hanging out at that quick mart as it is only about 100 yards away.  

 

I think of quick marts as being more likely to have derelicts than places like Starbucks.  

 

I wanted to post this as many of you live down there.  I would never had realized that the nicest communities have a dark underside if I hadn't been working with that young man.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Pete123

[DaveTN]

Franklin PD officers can't take vehicles out of county. Most of the time you see them parked is because the officer lives out of county and parks his/her personal vehicle in the same spot when on duty. We have one that parks in our church parking lot. And discussed with an officer the does security at our church.

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That's pretty much what the dispatcher told me when I asked about it as well.

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I’m confused. Are you saying they park a take home squad car in a grocery store parking lot and leave it there because they live in another county?

[Cyorke]

I’m confused. Are you saying they park a take home squad car in a grocery store parking lot and leave it there because they live in another county?

Yes. Franklin PD allows take home squad cars, however if you live outside the county you can't take them home. They will go somewhere close to the county line and park the vehicle in a business or church parking lot. While on duty they leave their personal vehicle in that location.

Some of them may have just recently joined the force and have not moved to the county, some may have property outside the county they don't want to leave, some may not be able to afford to be close to Franklin. Whatever their reason it has been going on for at least the last 5 or 6 years our church has been in its current location.

Again this is directly from the officers that do traffic control and security at my church.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk Edited November 9, 2015 by Cyorke