Cop's shotgun is stolen by a suspected gang member, police say - WSMV Channel 4

A known gang member is suspected of stealing a gun out of the trunk of a car that belongs to a Metro Nashville police officer who lives in Murfreesboro.

The shotgun has been found, but the Murfreesboro Police Gang Unit detectives are trying to figure out just how many other stolen guns have already hit the streets.

James Slusser, an officer with the Metro Nashville Police Department, went to get into his car at his Murfreesboro home yesterday only to find his police-issued shotgun missing.

"When officers arrived, they discovered the officer's Metro Department issued Remington 870 shotgun had been removed from the trunk of his vehicle," said Sgt. Kyle Evans, Murfreesboro police spokesman.

According to a police report, Slusser told officers his car may not have been locked.

Evans said anytime a cop's gun is stolen, investigators work that much harder to find it before it can be used to commit a crime.

"It is something that could be used to harm somebody. It could be use to harm a police officer in fact," Evans said. "The last thing we want is a weapon that's used to protect peace, and to defend law and order to be used in a harmful way."

Three other guns have been reported stolen in Murfreesboro since Monday.

While investigating an unrelated crime, officers were able to find the stolen 12-gauge short barrel shotgun, valued around $600.

"We were able to recover this Metro officer's shotgun, as well as other stolen firearms, and other stolen property from the suspect," Evans said.

Police said the suspect is a known gang member, so the Murfreesboro Gang Unit has taken over the case.

"An arrest has not been made in the case, but we do have a suspect, and officers and detectives are currently investigating," the police spokesman added.

Metro Nashville police spokesperson Kristen Mumford said Slusser did report that his shotgun had been stolen to his superiors.

Mumford said one gun was stolen from a Metro Nashville police vehicle in 2011.  That gun was recovered as stolen property during an arrest.