Christopher Paredes, 43, of Springfield, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee announced on Apr. 10.
The case raises concerns about community safety in Middle Tennessee neighborhoods. Boucek said, “Middle Tennessee has some of the greatest neighborhoods in America and those neighborhoods should be safe from gunfire.” He added, “Keeping all of the communities of Middle Tennessee safe from armed and violent criminals is a high priority of our office and the Department of Justice.”
According to court documents, on March 30 deputies from the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple calls reporting that Paredes was firing a gun from his back porch in Springfield. One caller told law enforcement that Paredes threatened her life before allegedly firing at her.
Authorities report that after initially refusing to exit his residence, Paredes surrendered following intervention by the Emergency Response Team using flashbangs and chemical agents. Deputies recovered a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol on the back porch along with eight spent casings found in the yard.
Records show that Paredes had prior felony convictions for assault in the second degree and wanton endangerment in Warren County, Kentucky in 2011, resulting in a sentence of 15 years in state prison.
If convicted on this federal charge, Paredes faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with local sheriff’s deputies are investigating; Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlin C. Hess is prosecuting.
Officials remind that “a complaint is merely an allegation” and that “the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
