Man Commits Suicide After Shooting at Police

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- A man who fired at police officers on Friday later committed suicide in an apartment complex.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, a woman entered the Raines Station precinct shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday and told police that a man wearing camouflage and armed with a shotgun had fired at her.

When police responded to the location she had given them, the suspect shot at them, hitting a squad car. An officer fired back, but did not hit the suspect, says the Commercial Appeal.

After the suspect ran into a nearby apartment complex, police began to search for him. His body was discovered in a dumpster within the complex. No one else was injured in the incident.

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TN Highway Patrol Increases Checkpoints for Holiday Weekend

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- For the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Tennessee Highway Patrol will increase enforcement of seat belt and drunk driving laws.

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the department will conduct vehicle checks at 65 checkpoints over the weekend, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday and concluding at 11:59 p.m. on Monday.

In 2012, Tennessee roadways saw 16 deaths during the Memorial Day weekend, down from 19 in 2011. Alcohol was only involved in six of the traffic deaths in 2012.

So far this year, 328 people have been killed in traffic accidents in Tennessee, down from 378 in the same time period last year.

The deparment has made 2,402 DUI arrests already this year, up 7.5 percent from this time last year.

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Five Escape Early Morning House Fire

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- Five people escaped a burning home early Wednesday morning.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the fire started just after 12:30 a.m. on Tulip Tree Drive. The fire was extinguished at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

Two adults and three children were able to get out of the burning residence without injury.

 The Commercial Appeal reports that authorities are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

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Haslam Signs Bill Lowering Food Tax to 5 Percent

(VONORE, Tenn.) -- Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill Monday that lowered the state portion of sales tax on groceries to 5 percent, the culmination of a two-year effort.

The previous sales tax rate on groceries was 5.25 percent. That rate was set in 2012 when the General Assembly passed the bill, which was regarded as the first step in reaching the 5 percent goal.

“The sales tax on food impacts all Tennesseans, and I applaud the General Assembly for passing this important piece of legislation this year,” said Haslam at the ceremonial signing at Sloan’s Grocery in Vonore, Tenn.

The reduced tax rate does not apply to prepared foods such as a meal at a restaurant, candy, alcoholic beverages or tobacco.

The legislation goes into effect July 1.

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Union County Deputies Find 335 Pounds of Pot During Traffic Stop

(MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn.) -- What started out as a routine traffic stop quickly turned into something else entirely when Union County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered more than 300 pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel.

Deputies pulled over a Nissan truck shortly before 6 a.m. Monday alongside state Highway 33 on suspicion that the driver was drunk. Upon walking up to the side of the Nissan, the officer noticed several packages in the back of the car.

With the help of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and a K-9 named Ceazor, deputies ended up finding 15 packages, containing 335 pounds of pot inside the car.

The driver, 26-year-old Martin Urrutia Olmedo, was charged with manufacturing, delivering, selling and possessing drugs. The original hunch that got him pulled over turned out to be right, as he was also charged with a DUI and driving without a license.

Olmedo is expected to appear in court Thursday.

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