Law enforcement and Tennessee State troopers were led on a bizarre chase last Wednesday morning, after a Cookeville man apparently severed his own penis and tossed it onto the roadway. The pursuit of the man took officers through two counties before his vehicle was stopped using spike strips and boxed in.

According to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Johnson the incident began a little after 6:00 a.m., when he noticed a Honda Accord parked on the shoulder, partially in the roadway, on Highway 70 in Dowelltown. When the trooper pulled up behind the vehicle and activated his blue lights, the car took off westbound and refused to stop.

Authorities say the man, later identified as 39-year-old Tyson Gilbert, was driving erratically and at one point pulled off of the highway, onto Old Liberty Road, and opened the door to his vehicle. Trooper Johnson drew his firearm and ordered Gilbert to exit the car, but the man refused. Gilbert was reportedly naked and covered in blood, and then threw something bloody out of the car onto the pavement before again driving away westbound towards Alexandria. The man reportedly continued throwing bits out the window as the chase ensued.

As DeKalb County deputies and Alexandria Police joined the pursuit, Alexandria officers were able to use a spike strip to deflate the Honda’s right front tire. Despite this, Gilbert continued fleeing into Wilson County.

As Gilbert entered Watertown, THP troopers were able to use another spike strip, taking out the Honda’s left front tire. Wilson County deputies also deployed a spike strip, but Gilbert was able to avoid hitting it. Once again Gilbert continued on, albeit slowly, refusing to stop even though both front tires were flat.

Gilbert continued to flee all the way to Lebanon, where authorities were able to box him in before he could reach I-40. There, law enforcement were able to place him into custody. He was then transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, where he was treated for serious injuries. Gilbert told authorities that he had heard voices on his car radio telling him to sever his penis in order to save the world. The discarded appendage was not found.

It was later discovered that Gilbert has active warrants against him for other offenses in Cookeville.

Those involved in the pursuit included Trooper Johnson, troopers with the Cookeville and Nashville Districts, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Departments, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Watertown Police Department.