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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two Memphis police officers are recovering after wrecking their vehicles in North Memphis on Thursday night.

The officers hit a guardrail near the corner of Jackson Avenue and Farmville Road where they were responding to a call about a prowler.

They were both taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital Memphis for treatment before being released.

Not far from that incident, along Warford Street, there was more police activity involving a tow truck towing a police cruiser with damage to the front of the vehicle.

(Photos by: WREG’s Jerrita Patterson)

Memphis Police say 37-year-old James Gates and 39-year-old Demarcus Anderson were arrested for that prowler call.

(L to R) James Gates and Demarcus Anderson

According to police, Gates and Anderson were part of a group of six or seven men that broke into box cars on CSX Railroad property.

Police say officers saw several suspects moving television sets through a large hole that had been cut in the fence. Those suspects fled the scene in multiple vehicles, Memphis Police say.

Officers reportedly stopped two of the vehicles using stop sticks. Police say officers later spotted a dark-colored pickup truck carrying the television sets as it turned onto Kippley Street from Coleman Avenue.

According to police, when officers approached the truck, Gates jumped out of the truck while it was still moving and ran away. Officers took him into custody on Pope Street.

Memphis Police say Anderson tried to hide under a box car before feeling the scene. Officers reportedly took him into custody at Chelsea Avenue and Ellington Street.

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