No, they can’t

First of all, I’m generally against leaving guns in unlocked cars. You should always lock your car, and if you’ve got to disarm then get something like this.

Now, with that out of the way, I’d like to address this statement:

Police said if a stolen gun is used to hurt someone, the gun’s owner could be held liable.

This is patently false. Tennessee is a free state. We don’t have any of that “lost and stolen” or “Safe Storage” bullcrap they have in Yankee Country. You are no more liable for what a criminal does with a gun stolen out of your car than you are for what he does with your car if he steals your car.

Remember, never ask a cop what the law is.