Dominique Tucker
Dominique Tucker, 24, was arrested after sheriff's deputies said he kidnapped a six-year-old girl and stole a car. Two police chases ensued, officers said, the second ending in a crash.
The incident began on June 9, when a deputy did a traffic stop on Ringgold Road. Lashanda Birt, the owner of the vehicle, was outside the car when her passenger, Tucker, got into the driver’s seat and drove off, police said.
The deputy pursued, but Tucker got away, and warrants were issued for his arrest.
On Wednesday, the same deputy observed Tucker in the vehicle at a gas station on Bonny Oaks Drive. The deputy said he turned on his emergency lights, and Tucker fled at a high speed in the vehicle.
A number of officers pursued the stolen car until they reached the parking lot of Ross Dress For Less at Northgate Mall Drive.
At this time, sherrif’s deputies said Tucker drove down a row of parked cars. The deputy who had first conducted the traffic stop said he drove down a different row and intentionally hit the stolen vehicle with his own. He said he drove into the driver’s side of the stolen car with the front of his vehicle, and they both spun around.
When the cars came to a stop, the deputy said the suspect left the vehicle and began running toward Highway 153. The deputy said as he followed, he heard crying coming from inside the stolen vehicle.
When the deputy caught up with Tucker, he said he deployed his Taser and the suspect went to the ground. Tucker said the person in the car was his young daughter.
The child, six years old, was crying, but had no visible injuries. Her mother, Ms. Birt, came to the scene. She said Tucker kidnapped her daughter and stole her vehicle.
At Erlanger Hospital, Ms. Birt told the deputy she was currently staying at a local motel. She said Tucker and her daughter were staying with her. She said two black males and a black female came to their hotel room and started beating up Tucker in the parking lot of the hotel. She said one of the men was called “Lil Racks,” and the female was named Amber Smith, but did not know anything else about them.
Ms. Birt said “Lil Racks” took a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at Tucker, saying he was going to kill him. When people gathered and said they would call 911, Tucker grabbed the child and got into Ms. Birt’s vehicle, driving off, she told the deputy.
Ms. Birt said she will go to court and follow these cases to the end, that she is tired of Tucker putting her and her children in danger. She told the deputy Tucker abuses her, and though they had been in a relationship in the past, they are now only friends. She said they had no children together.
The six-year-old confirmed much of her mother’s story, the deputy said. She told him a man at the hotel had a gun like his. She also said Tucker was driving fast, and she was only in a seat belt. The deputy said there were no child restraints in the car.
The deputy said he charged Tucker with felony theft, felony evading, felony reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, and driving while revoked for the incident on June 9. For the incident on June 15, he charged Tucker with felony theft (motor vehicle), kidnapping, felony evading, felony reckless endangerment, aggravated child endangerment (felony), resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving while revoked.
He said Tucker was driving at over 100 mph, weaving in and out of traffic, and using all the lanes. He said the suspect put the child and other innocent people in danger, and when used in this manner a motor vehicle is considered a deadly weapon. He also said Tucker had a digital scale in his pocket and had been arrested previously for selling drugs.