Cheatham County deputies arrest motorcyclist accused of threatening motorist with gun

CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities from Cheatham County arrested three people following an incident last month where an armed motorcycle rider was reportedly pursuing another motorist.

On Aug. 4, the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office said it got a 911 call from a driver who claimed a motorcyclist was chasing him and threatening him with a gun. After the victim relayed his position, deputies waited at Orange’s Market along Bearwallow Road in Ashland City.

When a black pickup truck drove up to the convenience store, a red and white Harley was reportedly on its bumper. Authorities said they tried to stop the motorcycle, but the rider — later identified as Trace Davis — took off, initiating a high-speed pursuit that stretched out for miles. After a while, deputies ended the chase due to safety concerns.

However, law enforcement still investigated the incident that led to the pursuit, first by talking to a witness who saw what she described as road rage. The witness said the motorcycle was weaving aggressively behind the truck, but she didn’t see a gun in the rider’s hand at that moment.

Then, authorities went to the victim’s house and talked to him. The 54-year-old truck driver said he knew of the rider, but only by first name. The victim described some type of issue that existed between the two men, adding that the motorcyclist had chased him for miles, starting in Davidson County.

“You saw him with the gun out on the road behind you, pointing it at you?” the deputy summarized.

“I saw him right here on the side of my truck. He was pointing it at me,” the victim replied.

“Oh, so he pulled up next to you?” the deputy questioned.

“Yeah, and I mean, we were doing 110 [mph] on Clarksville Pike,” the victim answered.

The law enforcement officer later reported to his supervisor what he saw during the chase: “It looked like I saw a gun on his hip.”

Armed with a name and a possible address, deputies surrounded a camper. While approaching, a man jumped out a rear window and ran for the woods. On the body camera footage, you can see multiple deputies pulling their weapons and chasing after the man.

“Get on the ground!” one deputy yelled.

“Down, down, down, down, down!” another deputy shouted.

Authorities quickly learned the man was 31-year-old James Tyler Pridemore, who said, “It wasn’t me,” as law enforcement struggled to secure his hands.

“Put your hands behind your back!” a deputy ordered as she tried to cuff Pridemore. “Stop reaching! Stop reaching! Stop reaching!”

According to officials, the ex-convict was carrying a revolver. The Tennessee Department of Correction told News 2 that Pridemore was convicted of a vehicle theft from March 2022 and sentenced to two years probation.

Pridemore’s Nashville arrest history shows a lengthy criminal record that includes multiple thefts, charges of possession with intent to sell and deliver narcotics, traffic citations, and a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon from April 29. Based on the affidavit from that incident, two days after being released from jail, Pridemore threatened a woman with a 2.5-inch knife while shouting, “You b—-!” The victim was reportedly FaceTiming her mother at the time of the assault.

When asked if he was a convicted felon, Pridemore told authorities he was not. Law enforcement also asked about the gun in his possession when he was tackled and cuffed, but Pridemore said the weapon belonged to his girlfriend. Deputies reminded him that convicted felons are not allowed to carry guns.

Authorities said they found a woman in the camper who had outstanding warrants out of Robertson County, as well as Davis, who spoke at length after being read his rights.

As seen in the body cam footage, Davis told law enforcement multiple versions of what happened, including that he was scared, that he thought someone was going to shoot him, and that he didn’t understand what was going on when the deputies tried to stop him.

Davis reportedly confessed to the confrontation with the truck driver and being the motorcyclist who led authorities on the high-speed pursuit.

“That’s not me, man. That’s not something I normally do,” Davis insisted. “This was like, I didn’t know what was going on.”

Davis was charged with aggravated assault and evading arrest. Meanwhile, Pridemore was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting stop frisk halt. However, no additional details were released about the woman who was taken into custody.