Second man arrested in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A second man has been arrested in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, authorities said.

Trooper Adam Cothron stopped a Kia Forte driven by Timothy Davis Jr. on Interstate 40 on Friday. When he approached, Davis shot Cothron, critically wounding him, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. The trooper remained hospitalized Tuesday, the agency said.

Davis, 25, was arrested in Nashville on Monday night and charged with attempted first-degree murder. His passenger, 29-year-old Braze Rucker, was previously arrested at a home in Princeton, the state police said Sunday. Rucker is charged with criminal responsibility of facilitation of a felony.

“Trooper Cothron has a long road to recovery ahead of him,” Col. Matt Perry of the highway patrol said at a news conference Tuesday. “But he’s a trooper. He’ll overcome, and we’ll be by his side every step of the way.”

Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security Jeff Long added, “He’s receiving outstanding medical care. We’re thankful for the doctors and nurses who have been tending to him around the clock. We love Adam. He’s a good trooper, but even better person. We will continue to stand by him and his family side by side, as they navigate the days and the weeks ahead.”

Law enforcement worked “tirelessly” to arrest the defendants after the “unprovoked” attack, Perry said.

“Tennessee is a safer place today because these two people are off the streets,” he said.

Davis’ bond was set at $3 million and Rucker’s was set at $1 million. Court records don’t list attorneys for either man.