Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:58 am

Police spokesman Officer Kyle Evans displays a bulletproof vest worn by a father who held his children hostage.

Three children were used by their father to shield himself from their mother and police during a domestic call Tuesday morning, Murfreesboro Police reported.

Husband Everett Burbridge apparently threatened to shoot his wife, Fredda Burbridge, Monday night in Nashville, Officer David Harrison reported.

Fredda Burbridge asked Murfreesboro Police to accompany her Tuesday morning while she gathered belongings for she and her children from their home at 1202 Pearl Knob Court off Rutherford Boulevard.

When Harrison arrived, he saw father Everett Burbridge wearing a military bulletproof vest when he herded his three children ages 14, 10 and 9 into his SUV. Harrison ordered the father to stop and get out of the SUV but he put the SUV in gear and headed toward Harrison.

His 14-year-old daughter jumped from the moving SUV and ran toward her mother, the officer reported.


“Burbridge stopped the SUV and began putting on a gas mask saying, ‘You’re going to have to kill me because I’m not going to jail,’” Harrison reported. “He refused commands to turn the vehicle off and get out.”

The father refused to keep his hands visible and kept reaching for items, telling Harrison he was going to have to kill him. He would not allow his 10-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son to get out of the SUV.

Harrison accused Burbridge of making threatening movements with his hands, keeping the two remaining children close to him in the back seat and changing positions.