Mt. Juliet girl, 4, in critical condition, police suspect abuse

MT. JULIET, Tenn. – A four-year-old girl is in the intensive care unit fighting for her life Thursday, and Mt. Juliet police suspect child abuse.

Police were called to the girl's home in Mt. Juliet on Thursday morning amid reports of an injured girl.

When the officer arrived and saw the child, he knew it was an emergency situation.

The child was taken to Summit Medical Center, where doctors treating her also became concerned.

Mt. Juliet Police Chief Andy Garrett said, "If they have obvious sign of child abuse they're mandated to notify the police, and from what I understand, there's enough obvious signs for notification."

The child's condition was so serious she was flown to the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

While no arrests were immediately been made, police are calling the investigation a "child abuse investigation."

"It's the worst type of case you ever investigate, any kind of abuse of a child is the worst type of case that you investigate," Garrett said. "This is somebody's child, and you want to make sure that you don't make a mistake. You want to make sure that all the T's are crossed and I's are dotted before any charges are brought on a case like this."

Police are not releasing the child's address, but said officers are guarding the home, which may be classified later as a crime scene.

The investigation is ongoing.