Morris given probation after police chase
A man who police say tried to abduct his estranged wife from her home this summer was granted full probation even though a police officer was injured chasing down the fleeing suspect.
The defendant, Christopher M. Morris, 32, apologized for the injury sustained by patrolman Bryan Emery, who hurt his knee while chasing the allegedly intoxicated suspect through a dark field near the scene on Caldwell Street in June. Morris also maintains he was not there to abduct his estranged wife, but instead planned to commit suicide by hanging himself.
Morris was given an 18-month probationary sentence which will run in addition to other unconnected charges he faces in Rutherford County. He was also directed to perform 32 hours public service work. The most significant charge against him, that of attempted aggravated kidnapping, was dropped for his guilty pleas to charges of trespassing and evading arrest.
The charges were lodged after Morris’ estranged wife claimed her husband had harassed her earlier in the evening, despite an order issued by General Sessions Judge Larry Ross warning Morris to stay away from the woman. The victim maintains Morris sent text messages to her cellphone even though phone texts are part of the communications prohibited by the restraining order. Following text messages back and forth for much of the day, the woman said she found a post to her MySpace Web site saying ‘OMG, I’m going to be famous.’
It was around an hour later the woman said she saw someone lurking outside of her Caldwell Street home and called police.
Lawmen found Morris hiding behind a rug which was draped over her porch railing and ordered him to stop. However, the suspect ran, jumped over the elevated porch and onto the pavement 10 feet below, and led patrolman Emery on a foot chase through a nearby open field heading toward Mullican Street. Emery sprained his knee during the chase.
Police believe Morris, had he not been caught near the scene, may have been trying to make it back to his Skyline residence about two miles north of the scene.
It was at the time of his arrest police found a 3-foot and 15-foot section of nylon rope in the possession of the bare-footed Morris, along with tape, leading them to suspect, over Morris’ denials, that he had plans to kidnap his ex-wife. Morris would later make statements he had brought the items so he could hang himself, noting he planned to use the tape so the rope would not slip off while it was around his neck.