News briefs from around Tennessee at 1:58 a.m. EDT

Police officer injured during pursuit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A police officer is recovering at a Nashville hospital after his vehicle swerved to avoid another motorist during a pursuit and struck a tree.

According to a release from the Nashville Police Department, Officer Nicholas Berens is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Officials say Berens was traveling Sunday morning to assist another officer in the pursuit of a shooting suspect when the driver of a car in front of Berens suddenly stopped in response to the officer’s lights and sirens.

Berens swerved to avoid the car and hit a tree. He was pinned inside before eventually being extricated by the fire department. He suffered several fractures and cuts.

Officials say the car that made Berens swerve continued on and was not present during the crash investigation.

___

African American Music Museum on track to be built

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Construction on the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville could start as early as next year.

Project leaders told The Tennessean https://tnne.ws/1j7SiNohttps://tnne.ws/1j7SiNo the construction will be one component of a larger redevelopment on the site of the old Nashville Convention Center in downtown.

The wheels were put in motion to build a museum to honor African American culture in 2000 when the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce created a task force to study the issue.

Initially, the project had a fundraising goal of more than $43 million, but that was reduced after the city offered up the convention center. In 2006, the city committed $10 million toward the project, and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said the city’s commitment still stands.

“I believe there is strong interest and demand for this type of museum, and the planned location is in a vibrant section of our downtown,” he said.

Known best for country music, some say, Nashville’s original “Music Row” was Jefferson Street, which until the 1970s was a vibrant corridor of live music venues where iconic musicians like Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix built their careers and where local legends like Frank Howard, Jimmy Church and Marion James earned a living.