The driver of a stolen BMW sedan who sped away from Juvenile Crime Task Force officers Tuesday night turned out to be an armed accused murderer out of jail on a $200,000 bond.
Byron Berkley, 19, whose murder case from age 16 is pending in adult court, is jailed once again on charges of vehicle theft, unlawful gun possession, felony evading arrest, leaving the scene of a crash, and driving without a license. His bond on the new charges is set at $50,000.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Task Force officers spotted the BMW (which was stolen on March 15th from Electric Avenue in East Nashville) traveling south on Clarksville Pike near 24th Avenue North. They attempted to stop it, but the car took off in the direction of I-65. Officers did not pursue the vehicle, but radioed where it was heading. Another Task Force officer near the I-65 entrance ramp from Rosa L. Parks Boulevard saw the BMW coming that way and was able to successfully spike the car’s tires as it got onto the interstate. A short time later, officers located the car on I-65 near the Jefferson Street overpass. Berkley was seen running from the car and scaling an embankment to get onto Jefferson Street. An officer who happened to be on Jefferson Street saw Berkley running and toss an item into a dumpster near the intersection of Jefferson Street and 10th Avenue North. That item turned out to be a Ruger pistol.
Shortly after Berkley was taken into custody, officers were alerted that he had sideswiped a car on Rosa L. Parks Boulevard as he fled.
Berkley and another 16-year-old, Terrence Rainey, were arrested in January 2017 for the murder of Javonte Robinson, 18, and the critical wounding of Roy Hunter, 20, at an apartment complex on N. Dupont Avenue. Robbery was the suspected motive. They have been indicted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and robbery-carjacking.
