Dec 3 2022 Cool Springs Robbery
Franklin Police Department

The Franklin Police Department arrested four men on Saturday night after a smash-and-grab robbery was witnessed by shoppers and saw a store employee attacked in Cool Springs.

According to an FPD news release, the arrests took part just before 8 p.m. when an employee of Jared's Jewelers inside the Thoroughbred Village Shop Center saw a suspicious person wearing a hoodie, surgical mask, hat and sunglasses enter the store.

The unidentified employee followed the man who left the store and entered a van that was occupied by other people.

Police said that minutes later, the van pulled up in front of the CoolSprings Galleria anchor store JCPenny and four masked people jumped out of the van and entered the store, which was witnessed by undercover FPD officers.

2022004321_1 from Franklin Police Public Affairs on Vimeo.

Police released body camera footage and a citizen cell phone video that showed the men smashing glass cases containing diamond jewelry with hammers.

That footage also showed an officer fighting with one of the suspects in the entrance way of the JCPenny location.

Police said that at least one suspect pepper sprayed a store employee, and the getaway driver was arrested outside of the building.

Three other suspects fled the scene, with two of those people arrested with the assistance of Williamson County Sheriff's Office Deputies and Brentwood Police Department officers.

Police arrested 35-year-old Keisean Elliott, 29-year-old Marcanzo Banks, 29-year-old Dunterious Traylor and 33-year-old Quintarurus Harris, all of whom are charged with aggravated robbery, felony vandalism, and evading arrest, while Traylor was also charged with assault on a first responder.

Police are working to identify the one suspect who escaped.

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"There have been at least five similar incidents across Tennessee and Arkansas over the past several weeks with a combined loss of more than $1.5 million," FPD said in the news release.

"Detectives in Franklin are working with investigators from multiple agencies to determine if the suspects arrested in Franklin are responsible for other incidents, including an earlier smash-and-grab jewelry robbery at the CoolSprings Galleria Macy’s on November 4."

FPD said that "Operation Not In Our Mall" has resulted in more than 34 arrests since Nov. 1, and led to the recovery of more than $7,000 in stolen merchandise.