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Archive for the ‘TENNESSEE’ Category
Rutherford County Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Hits And Kills 11 Year Old Girl, Drags Her Down Street, Gets Out Of His Car And Throws A Bottle
July 18th, 2008
MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE - A Murfreesboro girl was killed overnight when she was hit by a car, and Friday morning confirmed reports said a deputy in an unmarked car was to blame.
According to Murfreesboro police, a Rutherford County Sheriff’s Deputy hit and killed an 11-year-old girl Thursday night.
The tragic accident happened around 9 p.m. Thursday on Bradyville Pike.
Witnesses and family members said Lakesha was visiting her Grandmother, who lives in Murfreesboro, when she was hit crossing the street. Her cousin who witnessed the incident said the car dragged her down the street before stopping.
“That’s when I went to get my Mom to tell her she got ran over that ’s when we saw her laying there, beside the mailbox,” said Raynesha Carneal, Lakesha’s cousin.
Read MoreInnocent Man Finally Released After Arrest On Bogus Charges By Nashville Tennessee Police - Six Days In Jail Despite Air-Tight Alibi
July 17th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - A Nashville man reunited with his family after spending six days behind bars for a crime police now said he didn’t commit.
Roy Knowles was arrested for allegedly impersonating police officers and robbing three people at gunpoint.
“I am very happy to be out,” he said after being released from jail Wednesday night.
Two people identified him, but one of the victims later told police she made a mistake.
It is a mistake Knowles’ family said has ruined his name.
For hours Wednesday, his family and friends sat and waited for his release.
“I was shocked and mad all at the same time,” said Michael Knowles. “I know that ain’t my brother. He don’t do nothing like that.”
He said this mistake has been hard on his family.
Read MoreNashville Tennessee Police Arrest Man For Robbery, Despite Air-Tight Alibi And Evidence That He Was Attending Classes At Design Academy
July 17th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - Family members of the robbery suspect arrested last week in connection to three robberies in which the suspects posed as police officers said his alibi is valid.
Roy Knowles, 33, was arrested last Thursday after victims from two of the three robberies identified him as a suspect.
His brother and sister, however, say that is impossible, their brother was in school.
News 2 has obtained a document that says Knowles was in fact in class at the International Academy of Design and Technology.
The school has a strict attendance policy. Every student has a key card and must log in when they enter the building and classrooms.
The school even has surveillance cameras to protect their students and the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in the building.
A representative from the school told News 2 they have cooperated with police and Saturday, handed over records and video.
Read MoreShelby County Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Alvin Dortch Fired After Lying About Fatal Crash
July 15th, 2008
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - A Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy was fired Tuesday for violating several Sheriff’s Office policies in connection with a traffic crash last month on Interstate 240 at Jackson Avenue. The crash killed a Memphis man.
Within hours of the traffic crash, authorities realized Deputy Dortch was not truthful about what happened. He refused to cooperate with investigators. As a result, he was charged with violating several policies and was terminated from the Sheriff’s Office, according to Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.
The administrative action taken against Deputy Alvin Dortch is separate from a criminal investigation about the fatal crash. Results of the criminal probe by Sheriff’s Office detectives and agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have been forwarded to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Professional Standards and Integrity charged Dortch with several department violations: Compliance With Regulations, Deadly Force, Truthfulness, Disobedience of an Order, and Discharging a Firearm.
Read MoreSumner County Tennessee Corrections Officer Elvis Wade Arrested, Fired, Charged With Groping Two Female Inmates - Attempted To Bribe Them So They Wouldn’t Complain
July 15th, 2008
GALLATIN, TENNESSEE - A Sumner County corrections officer was fired in the wake of claims that he groped two female inmates.
Elvis Wade was arrested on Monday and charged with sexual battery.
A sheriff’s department representative said the department has been investigating Wade for a few weeks.
According to a police affidavit, Wade touched women in the jail inappropriately and tried to bribe them so they wouldn’t complain.
Wade had only worked at the facility for a year. He’s scheduled to be in court in August.
War On Photographers: Moron Johnson County Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Arrests Man For Taking His Picture, Whining That He “Feared For His Life”
July 12th, 2008
JOHNSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE - Nearly everyone carries a cell phone and it’s hard to find one without that camera feature. It’s convenient when you want to take that impromptu photo, but a Tri-Cities area man ended up behind bars after snapping a shot of a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop.
* Comment from site: “Somebody needs to kick the deputy’s ass. He’s apparently one who thinks his gun and badge makes him God. I hope this guy sues them and wins. I can’t stand Redneck cops.”
The cell phone photographer says the arrest was intimidation, but the deputy says he feared for his life.
“Here’s a guy who takes me out of the car and arrests me in front of my kids. For what? To take a picture of a police officer?” said Scott Conover.
A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy arrested Scott Conover for unlawful photography.
Read MorePolice Use Injections To Subdue Prisoners
July 10th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - While the Metro police had banned the use of Tasers for a time, they still used a controversial method to subdue unruly people, according to an I-Team report.
The city’s policy to use the method, which calls for the injection of a drug into a person, came as a “total surprise” to people most would expect to know all about it.
For almost two years, Metro police have had the option of calling for a needle loaded with a strong sedative to control the most unruly people they encounter on the street.
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One of the doctors who came up with the protocol said it’s the safest option out there and that it is used all over the country.
But many people said that the injection was news to them, and a top medical ethicist said it’s a troubling precedent.
Read MoreConvicted Drug Addict Former Williamson County Tennessee Sheriff Ricky Headley Is Now Pushing His Gospel CD
July 10th, 2008
FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE - A former Middle Tennessee sheriff who admitted abusing prescription drugs lost his badge but not his voice.
Ricky Headley, who’d long been dubbed the “Singing Sheriff” because of his affinity for singing, pleaded guilty to obtaining painkillers without a prescription and resigned earlier this year.
Headley said he’s trying to help others through his music. He’s recorded a gospel CD and is receiving invitations to perform at churches.
He’s also involved with a Web site for the Tennessee Missions Foundation where people can find help with addiction with a special link for law enforcement officers.
Headley said he feels as though God is putting him on the path that was intended for his life many years ago.
Nashville Tennessee Police Officer Carey Adkerson Ran Down Pedestrian On Lower Broadway With Patrol Car
July 7th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - A Metro Police officer hit someone who was crossing the street in downtown Nashville overnight. On Sunday the accident was still under investigation.
Officer Carey Adkerson was heading north on 5th Ave. He was turning onto Broadway when he hit a pedestrian in the middle of the intersection. Medics did not take the victim to the hospital. Appeared Here
Crazed Mount Juliet Tennessee Police Officer Bill Cosby Nearly Chokes Man To Death - Caught On Video
July 4th, 2008
MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. - A Midstate man said a police officer nearly choked him to death during a traffic stop. The incident was caught on tape. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating how Mount Juliet Cpl. Bill Cosby interacted with James Anders, Jr. Cosby stopped the 26-year-old Wilson County man in April.
Cosby suspected Anders hid marijuana in his mouth. The officer used a vascular restraint technique to keep Anders from swallowing. On the video recorded inside Cosby’s patrol car, Cosby said he smelled marijuana and handcuffed Anders and his passenger. The video also showed the officer putting his hands around Anders’ neck. He applied pressure and told Anders to stick out his tongue. This happened for nearly two minutes before Anders lost consciousness.
Read MoreTennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Sgt. Larry Hitchcok Returns To Desk Duty After 3 Month Suspension Amid Links To Steriods Investigation
July 3rd, 2008
LA VERGNE, TENNESSEE - A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper alleged to be linked to a cops-on-steroids investigation is back on the job even though the internal investigation into the case is incomplete and the department is releasing few details.
Sgt. Larry Hitchcock returned to work Tuesday after three months of paid leave while the investigation was being conducted. THP spokesman Mike Browning had little to say about Hitchcock’s case, saying it was an ongoing investigation.
Hitchcock has continued to take home his $1,055-a-week paycheck since he was put on leave March 25.
Upon his return, he was posted in a desk job performing administrative duties at the driver’s license office in La Vergne.
The allegations emerged during an ongoing local and federal investigation into steroid use among police.
It came to light earlier this year when three Metro police officers were linked to the investigation and lost their badges pending the outcome. A Murfreesboro officer was fired after admitting to steroid use.
Read MoreBogus Neshoba County Mississippi Rape Charge Dropped Against Poison Drummer Rikki Rockett - He Was In Another State With His Fiance Watching Her Try On Wedding Dresses
July 2nd, 2008
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI - A rape charge against Rikki Rockett has been dropped after authorities determined that the Poison drummer was not in the state at the time of the alleged crime.
Authorities say they are now looking for a man with a history of passing himself off as a rock musician to pick up women.
Rockett was accused of raping a woman at a central Mississippi casino in September 2007 and arrested in March. The Neshoba County district attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday that the charges were dropped.
Rockett said he was in California when the rape was alleged.
“I was with my fiance watching her try on wedding dresses,” Rockett said in a Tuesday phone interview with The Associated Press from Salt Lake City, where Poison is preparing to launch a 49-date tour. “We’ve got eyewitnesses to that.”
Read MoreWrongfully Convicted Tennessee Inmate Released After 22 Years On Death Row
July 2nd, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - After 22 years on death row, Tennessee inmate Paul House was released from prison Wednesday morning.
House, who has multiple sclerosis, left on bond from the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville.
His mother, Joyce House picked him up from the facility in Nashville’s Cockrill Bend area.
“I feel pretty good,” House said while sitting inside a vehicle, waiting to leave the prison property.
He and his mother are thankful for new DNA evidence that could clear him of the 1985 rape and murder of Carolyn Muncey.
Joyce House said she always knew this day would come.
“It was discouraging,” she said. “Lots of times it was discouraging, but I couldn’t give up.”
Her son will be retried in October. Until then, he will remain on house arrest. He is only allowed to leave home for medical appointments and court appearances. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
Read MoreLies: Shelby County Tennessee Deputy Sherif Alvin Dortch’s Story Of Man’s Death Doesn’t Add Up - Caught On Video
July 2nd, 2008
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - A Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy was suspended Monday. Investigators said the deputy told one story about how a suspect died over the weekend, but apparently the deputy’s dash cam video showed something different. Now a witness is talking about what he saw before the man died.
Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies were back on the scene Monday morning trying to figure how Ignacio Arcos died.
They said Sunday morning, just after midnight, D.U.I sheriff’s deputy Alvin Dortch called dispatch and said Arcos was speeding and swerving on I-240 East near the Warford exit.
The 23-year-old man had been arrested before for drunk driving.
Dortch told internal investigators he went after Arcos after he was done writing a ticket for another driver.
According to investigators, Dortch said as he was driving down the expressway, he got to the Jackson exit, and all he saw was a cloud of dust and the truck upside down with the driver inside.
Read MoreVeteran Shelby County Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Alvin Dortch Suspended And Under Investigation After Killing Speeder - Video Catches Officer’s Lies
July 1st, 2008
SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE - Representatives of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office met Monday with the family of a man who died in a traffic accident that may have involved a sheriff’s deputy.
Deputy Alvin Dortch, 47, of the Metro DUI Squad has been relieved of duty in connection with the crash. He’s still on the payroll, but is off the job.
“There’s an urgency to this case,” said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Shular, because video taken from the dash camera in Dortch’s car contradicts an account released by the department about how the accident happened.
Dortch reported that he saw a a pickup driven by Ignacio Arcos, 23, of Memphis speed past his squad car just after midnight Sunday as Dortch was finishing a DUI stop on another vehicle.
The deputy said he tried to follow the truck but caught up with it only after the truck had crashed at Jackson Avenue and Interstate 40, killing Arcos.
Read MoreState Is Investigating After Mt. Juliet Tennessee Police Officer William Cosby Choked And Nearly Killed Handcuffed Motorist
July 1st, 2008
MOUNT JULIET, TENNESSEE - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a traffic stop involving a Mt. Juliet police officer accused of performing “vascular restraint” on a man suspected of trying to swallow drugs.
Jason Holleman, a lawyer for the city, said Thursday the TBI is looking into the April 4 incident in which Cpl. William Cosby stopped a vehicle driven by James Lawrence Anders Jr.
Interim Mt. Juliet police chief James Hambrick said Cosby performed “vascular restraint” on Anders when he suspected he was going to swallow drugs, and that Anders temporarily blacked out.
WTVF-TV in Nashville reports the incident was caught on Cosby’s patrol car video camera and shows him putting his hands around Anders’ neck and applying pressure before he loses consciousness.
Anders was charged with possessing marijuana, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. But his attorney said the charges were dropped last week by a local judge at the request of the state attorney general.
Read MoreCrazed Mount Juliet Tennessee Police Officer Bill Cosby Nearly Choked Handcuffed Motorist To Death - Judge Dismisses All Of Officer’s Pending Cases, Will Dismiss Future Cases, As The Disgraced Officer Is No Longer Welcome In His Court - Worthless Cop Remains On Duty - Caught On Video
July 1st, 2008
MOUNT JULIET, TENNESSEE - A Midstate man said a police officer nearly choked him to death during a traffic stop.
The incident was caught on tape.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating how Mount Juliet Cpl. Bill Cosby officer interacted with James Anders, Jr.
Cosby stopped the 26-year-old Wilson County man in April.
Cosby suspected Anders hid marijuana in his mouth. The officer used a vascular restraint technique to keep Anders from swallowing.
On the video recorded inside Cosby’s patrol car, Cosby said he smelled marijuana and handcuffed Anders and his passenger.
The video also showed the officer putting his hands around Anders’ neck. He applied pressure and told Anders to stick out his tongue. This happened for nearly two minutes before Anders lost consciousness.
Photographs released by Anders’ attorney showed injuries he sustained when he fell to the pavement.
Read MoreJudge Tells Crime Victim To Arm Herself, That Chattanooga Tennessee Police Can No Longer Protect The Public
June 28th, 2008
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE - General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon said Friday that crime in Chattanooga “has become so rampant that it is no longer possible for the police department to protect our citizens.”
He told a woman who had been pulled from her car and beaten in the head that she or her mother needed to “purchase a weapon, obtain a gun permit and learn to protect yourself.” The woman moved back in with her mother after the May 4 incident on E. 17th Street.
Judge Moon said, “The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that all citizens have a right to purchase a weapon to defend themselves, their families and their homes - unless there is some disqualification that prevents them from owning a weapon.”
He said, “All area of our city are subject to crime, and some areas have very high crime rates and need to be ‘overpoliced.’”
Read MoreCoffee County Tennessee Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Shelton Arrested, Jailed, Charged After Drunken Wreck And Leaving The Scene Of An Accident
June 28th, 2008
COFFEE COUNTY, TENNESSEE - An assistant district attorney in Coffee County was charged with DUI Saturday in Rutherford County, a Department of Safety spokesman said.
Prosecutor Kenneth Shelton, 53, of Tullahoma was charged about 2 p.m. after he crashed his 2005 Chrysler on U.S. Highway 41A in Eagleville, said Department of Safety spokesman Mike Browning.
“He apparently left the scene and was located by Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office,” Browning said.
Deputies contacted Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Shawn Boyd to investigate the crash.
Boyd charged Shelton with DUI, violation of the implied consent law, violation of open container law and leaving the scene of an accident.
Shelton is being held at presstime at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center. A hearing is set Aug. 8 in General Sessions Court.
Memphis Tennesee Police Officer Bridges McRae After Brutal Beating Of Transgender - Second Officer Fired After The Beating At Jail Was Caught On Video
June 26th, 2008
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - A second Memphis police officer has been fired for beating a transgender woman.
Patrol officer Bridges McRae, 28, was fired Wednesday during an administrative hearing.
The beating, captured on videotape by a camera in the Memphis jail, showed the woman being hit repeatedly while being arrested on a prostitution charge last February.
James Swain, 25, a rookie officer, was fired soon after the video became public.
The video caused a stir when shown last week on Memphis TV and the Internet.
Duanna Johnson, 42, a biological male who lives as a woman, was struck on the head and face.
Johnson did not appear seriously hurt but was left handcuffed and bleeding on the floor.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Announces Effort To Piss Away Tax Dollars On Overtime For State Police Troopers
June 26th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - Consider yourself warned! The Tennessee Highway Patrol has kicked off their 100 Days of Summer HEAT.
The three month long program was created to keep summer motorists safe by monitoring speeders, impaired drivers and those who are not buckled in.
THP said speeders, impaired drivers and not buckling up have been the top three causes of deadly crashes, so THP decided to dedicate 500 overtime hours for 100 Days of Summer HEAT program to help catch dangerous drivers.
Having Solved All Other Problems In City, Chattanooga Tennessee Targets Sagging Pants
June 25th, 2008
CHATANOOGA, TENNESSEE - Lawrence Curry went to the city council asking for help that would require people in restaurants to pull up their pants….While the council says those decisions are out of their hands. Many agree it is a community wide problem.
Council Manny Rico says he sees many young people wearing saggy pants in his district. “Where is the advocacy from the minority community that says look you wouldn’t go looking for a job like that,” says Councilman Rico.
The Council was unable to make an ordinance because they have restrictions against telling people how to dress.
Community leader and UTC professor Jean Howard-Hill sends that same message to her students when she tells them to pull up their pants. Last year she held a campus wide event UTC to encourage young people, especially minorities to dress for success but says there is still a lot of work to be done.
Read MoreUpdated: Athens Tennessee Police Chief Chuck Ziegler Suspended Amid Missing Money, Weapon, And Drugs
June 25th, 2008
ATHENS, TENNESSEE - Athens Police Chief Chuck Ziegler has been given a 30-day suspension without pay, a year’s probation with six goals to be met during that time, and no merit increases in salary for a year after a report by City Manager Mitchell Moore addressing missing money, a weapon and drugs.
[05/07/08 Update: An email arrived, saying Ziegler has removed the 'contact' portion of the Athens Police Department website HERE to block feedback from the community. Nothing like sticking your head in the sand Chuckie...]
Missing Items:
- $40,529 in seized and confiscated money
- $4,300 in drug funds
- $700 from a police benevolence fund
- $500 in TBI cash
- 700 prescription pills
- 1.75 pounds of marijuana
- 2 ounces cocaine
- $1,000 handgun
The penalties were addressed in a 100-plus-page report given to City Council members Friday by Moore, who might be punished himself by the council.
Read MoreClueless, Incompetent And Fired Polk County Tennessee Jailer Brandi Barahona Whines About Inmate Escape And Getting Her Butt Kicked
June 25th, 2008
POLK COUNTY, TENNESSEE - It’s a moment every jailer is taught to prepare for: an escape. Brandi Barahona says she’s had close calls before, but nothing like this.
“I love being a corrections officer,” Barahona says. “There are good parts of the job and there are bad parts.”
For five months Barahona worked at the Polk County Justice Center as a jailer. But what happened to Barahona while on the job back in April, sent her to the hospital.
“We had two inmates already in booking from the previous shift.” Barahona says. “Two deputies brought two new male inmates to be booked.”
Barahona says, altogether, that hectic Friday night, there were four people on shift: she was the only one in the booking area.
One of the inmates sitting in that holding area was 22-year-old Jacob Charles Boswell. Moments after Barahona started her shift, Boswell would overpower her and escape.
Read MoreNutcase Rutherford County Tennessee Deputies Tell Woman To Stop Breastfeeding Baby Outside Courtroom, Despite Mother And Child Being Protected Under State Breastfeeding Law
June 24th, 2008
MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE - A woman who became angry when deputies asked her to stop nursing her baby outside a Rutherford County courtroom was threatened with arrest.
Heather Rankins, 22, was nursing her 3-month-old son on Monday when officers asked her to move to a more discreet location.
Sgt. Michael Potts said Rankins’ breast was exposed. He said Rankins began screaming and causing a disturbance so he asked her to leave or be taken to jail, but Rankins said her breasts were covered and she believes her rights were violated.
Tennessee law states that a mother has a right to breastfeed a baby who is 12 months old or younger in any location.
Rankins said she is not sure whether she will sue for discrimination.
State Supreme Court Rules That Tennessee Police Officers Can Now Stop Motorists For Driving SLOWER Than Posted Speed Limit - Our Tax Dollars At Work
June 24th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - The state Supreme Court ruled that police can stop a vehicle for driving too slowly.
Chattanooga police arrested three people for possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to sell or deliver after they were pulled over in 2005 for driving 20 miles an hour in a 35-miles-an-hour zone.
The trial court judge in Hamilton County had earlier ruled that the stop and subsequent search were illegal because the car didn’t come to a complete stop and impede traffic.
The state argued that the slow-moving vehicle did impede traffic because other cars had to brake quickly and move into another lane to avoid the car.
In a unanimous ruling filed Monday, the Tennessee Supreme Court sided with the state. It reversed the lower court’s ruling and sent the drug case back for a new hearing. Appeared Here
Lawsuit Charges Nashville Tennessee Security Guard Jeremy Holmes With Shooting And Killing Innocent Unarmed Man In Parking Lot - Previously Attacked Another Man In Another Parking Lot
June 24th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - A lawsuit raises new questions about a security guard Metro police said shot and killed a man in a Nipper’s Corner parking lot.
Police did not charge Jeremy Holmes, but investigators question whether the shooting was justified.
The shooting happened on May 16, but on the day before a Nashville man filed a lawsuit against Holmes. The suit claims the security guard attacked the man for no reason.
Holmes told police in May that he got into an argument with Adam Villegas, who was sitting inside a parked car. Villegas was a patron of Marathon Sports Bar, which closed at 3 a.m.
Holmes allegedly ordered Villegas to leave the parking lot. When Villegas didn’t immediately comply, the pair argued and Holmes walked toward the rear of the car when Villegas reportedly started to move the car. Holmes reportedly ordered him to stop and when Villegas failed to do so, Holmes shot him. He struck Villegas in the neck. Villegas died at the scene.
Read MoreBig Brother: Franklin Tennessee Police Are Tracking And Recording Motorists Travels
June 24th, 2008
FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE - Police in one midstate city have turned to a new technology to cut down on crime, but not everyone is happy.
Franklin police can now scan and record the license numbers of cars.
The new technology was created to help identify stolen cars and those cars wanted by police.
The technology also creates a record of where drivers have been.
At the same time, some people have said the new technology goes too far - calling it an invasion of their privacy.
Lawsuit Will Charge Memphis Tennessee Police Officer With Brutally Beating Transsexual Prostitute At Shelby County Criminal Justice Center - Caught On Video - Previously Beat Man In Mother’s Driveway
June 24th, 2008
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - A local family claims they had a violent run-in with the same officer involved in the jailhouse beat down case, though their lawsuits were later dismissed.
Action News 5 was the first to show you video of a violent encounter between a Memphis police officer and a transgendered woman in the intake area of the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. It was last February when surveillance cameras rolled as Memphis Police Officer Bridges McRae repeatedly struck suspected transgendered prostitute Duanna Johnson.
Last week, Johnson’s lawyers said they plan to file a lawsuit over the incident. Action News 5 has learned it won’t be the first lawsuit against McRae.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, on December 19, 2005, a truck driver named Kirby Lloyd arrived home and parked his tractor trailer in his mother’s back yard on East Brooks. Lloyd started his other car, a 1994 Mazda, and went inside to greet his mother.
Read MoreBurns Tennessee Police Chief Jerry Sumerour Turns Himself In To Face Ticket Fixing Charge
June 24th, 2008
BURNS, TENNESSEE - The leading lawman in Burns, Tenn., put himself on the wrong side of the law. The police chief turned himself in to the sheriff’s department Thursday night.
Jerry Sumerour was booked at the Dickson County Jail Thursday night on a charge of “illegal solicitation of a citation,” which is reportedly a Class-C misdemeanor - about the equivalent of a speeding ticket.
Sumerour made the news in spring 2008 when one of his police captains was fired. According to the captain, he was fired over a speeding ticket he gave the chief’s teenage step-son. The ticket was reduced from a citation to a warning.
The Burns city attorney said it is and always has been the city’s stance that Cpt. Larry Williams was not forced to reduce the speeding ticket to a warning. Instead, the city believes that Williams changed the ticket on his own.
Read MoreSteroid Using And Dealing Tennessee State Probation Officer Mike Lankford Suspended After Admitting To Using And Selling Drugs
June 24th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - The Channel 4 I-Team reported that someone hired by the state to keep drug users on the right path admitted to using and selling steroids.
State probation officer Mike Lankford was placed on administrative leave after admitting to using and selling steroids to investigators, the I-Team’s Jeremy Finley reported on Monday.
Finley said the officer also has ties to the chief suspected dealer in a steroid investigation that has a number of law enforcement officers caught up in it.
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“Whenever there’s any kind of allegations of illegal activities, it bothers us,” said Office of Probation and Parole representative Jack Elder.
In a Metro police investigative report obtained by the I-Team, Lankford told investigators he purchased steroids, injected them into himself and sold them.
In the report, Lankford names Scott Haines, the trainer charged with selling steroids to officers in middle Tennessee.
Read MoreNashville Tennessee Attorney James Cannon Found Dead In His Green Hills Home
June 24th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - Police said a 44-year-old Nashville attorney was found dead Monday at his Green Hills home.
Authorities said 44-year-old James Cannon’s body was found in the closet of his house at 710 Bowling Avenue by a cleaning worker.
Cannon is a partner in a company called Medical Reimbursements of America, based in Franklin, Tenn.
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“The body has no outward sign of physical trauma. However, we believe this death to be suspicious, and it is being investigated as a homicide,” said Metro police spokesman Don Aaron.
Cannon sued his wife, Kelley, in February for a divorce. The Cannons have a documented history of domestic violence in their marriage. The couple have three children.
“He sued her for divorce in February of this year, and there was significant animosity between the two,” Aaron said.
Read MoreRed-Light And Speed Cameras Turn Out To Be Financial Windfall For Chattanooga Tennessee -
June 23rd, 2008
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE - It’s been a year since Chattanooga started rolling out their speed cameras along the S-Curves on Hixson Pike. Since then, the city added two mobile speed vans and eight red light cameras. The cameras are intended to make the roads safer by slowing drivers down.
At $50 per citation, we wanted to know how much money the city’s made in the last year. Our investigation uncovered there is quite a treasure in the city’s coffers.
Lt. David Roddy said, “The most common way to change behavior pattersn is money out of your wallet. That’s not necessarily what we’re looking for. We want people to slow down.”
That’s what Chattanooga Police said in June 2007, the first day the city started snapping pictures of speeders. Has it worked? Traffic Engineer John Van Winkle thinks so. He says, “People are slowing down.”
Read MoreHamilton County Tennessee To “Flood” Highways Over Holiday Weekend Seeking Revenue Under “Saving Lives” Guise - So Much For Saving Fuel
June 23rd, 2008
HAMILTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE - According to Lt. Max Templeton, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office “will flood Hamilton County highways and streets over the Forth of July Holiday Weekend with stepped up traffic enforcement.”
He says beginning Thursday July 3rd through Sunday July 6th from 6pm to 6am Deputies will be saturating the area searching for intoxicated/ aggressive drivers, with special attention on speeders, and seatbelt/ child restraint violations.
”Sobriety Checkpoints” will be conducted on various highways and streets of Hamilton County. These include but are not limited to Highway 58, Highway 27, East Brainerd Road, Hixson Pike, Dayton Blvd, Bonny Oaks Drive, and Cummings Highway.
Lt. Templeton said, “Please help us make it a safe holiday weekend, our goal is reduce traffic crashes and save lives. Arrive Alive, buckle up, and don’t drink and drive!”
Read MoreBurns Tennessee Police Chief Jerry Sumerour Jr. Charged After Trying To Fix His Stepson’s Traffic Ticket
June 22nd, 2008
BURNS, TENNESSEE - A Midstate police chief faces a grand jury indictment.
Burns Police Chief Jerry Sumerour, Jr. is charged with trying to fix his stepson’s traffic ticket.
The traffic stop happened this spring, but the grand jury indicted him this week.
Several people who live, work and pay taxes in the community said they deserve some type of explanation.
Sumerour is leaving that up to his attorney.
“I can’t make any comments,” he said Friday. “What I can tell you is my attorney’s name is Mike Flanigan.”
When asked if he regretted what happened, Sumerour said, “I can’t make any comment. There’s my attorney’s name and number. You can direct any questions through him.”
Burns is about 35 miles west of Nashville.
A Dickson County grand jury indictment said Sumerour solicited the cancellation of a traffic citation given to a teenager on or about March 21. The teenager was Sumerour’s stepson.
Read MoreMontgomery County Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Truman Dee Wood Jr. Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Attacking Woman In Her Home
June 21st, 2008
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TENNESSEE - A Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy has been suspended after being charged with domestic assault June 14.
Deputy Truman Dee Wood Jr. has been “decommissioned” until the case makes its way through the court system, said MCSO Public Information Officer Ted Denny.
Wood is accused of grabbing a woman by the shirt during an argument. According to arrest warrants, the woman feared Wood would slap her in the face.
According to a report by Sheriff’s Investigator Josh Wall, Wood admitted grabbing the woman by the shirt and dragging her from the kitchen to the living room before pushing her onto a sofa. The warrant indicates there is no prior criminal history for Wood and there were no visible signs of a fight.
Wood posted $500 bail and was released the same day. Denny said Wood has been suspended from the department for five days without pay until the case is adjudicated, and he has been relieved of his firearm.
Read MoreAthens Tennessee Police Chief Chuck Ziegler Suspended After Cash, Drugs, And A Gun Go Missing From Evidence
June 20th, 2008
ATHENS, TENNESSEE - Athens Police Chief Chuck Ziegler has been suspended 30 days without pay after an investigation into missing police evidence that included cash, drugs and a handgun.
City Manager Mitch Moore announced the suspension Friday in a report given to City Council members. A recent audit by the state comptroller’s office showed that $46,000, 1.75 pounds of marijuana, 2 ounces of cocaine, 700 prescription pills and a weapon vanished from police custody between July 2006 and October 2007.
Moore’s report says Ziegler was responsible and failed to implement proper procedures.
The chief in a statement said he accepts the punishment and will not appeal the city manager’s decision.
Former police detective Bill Matthews resigned in January after an investigation into the missing items. A McMinn County grand jury in May declined to indict Matthews despite his confession he took at least $8,900.
Read MoreChattanooga Tennessee Attorney Charles D. Lawson Arrested, Charged With Sexual Battery
June 20th, 2008
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE - A Chattanooga attorney is facing a sexual battery charge.
Charles D. Lawson, of the Chambliss, Bahner firm, was arrested after an incident last Saturday.
A police report says Lawson touched a female between her legs and inappropriately touched her.
It says he pulled her hair and made sexual comments.
The report says, “The sexual touching and sexual advances were unwanted by the victim.”
Police said a witness saw Lawson force the woman against a wall and went to help her.
The report does not say where the incident took place.
Lawson, 41, of Winston Road, is due in General Sessions Court on July 10.
He made a $3,000 bond.
Burns Tennessee Police Chief Jerry Sumerour Turns Himself In To Face Ticket Fixing Charge
June 20th, 2008
BURNS, TENNESSEE - The leading lawman in Burns, Tenn., put himself on the wrong side of the law. The police chief turned himself in to the sheriff’s department Thursday night.
Jerry Sumerour was booked at the Dickson County Jail Thursday night on a charge of “illegal solicitation of a citation,” which is reportedly a Class-C misdemeanor - about the equivalent of a speeding ticket.
Sumerour made the news in spring 2008 when one of his police captains was fired. According to the captain, he was fired over a speeding ticket he gave the chief’s teenage step-son. The ticket was reduced from a citation to a warning.
The Burns city attorney said it is and always has been the city’s stance that Cpt. Larry Williams was not forced to reduce the speeding ticket to a warning. Instead, the city believes that Williams changed the ticket on his own.
Read MoreJackson Tennessee Police Officer Thomas Derek Bowman Fired, Charged With Reckless Driving, Speeding At 124 MPH On Motorcycle
June 18th, 2008
JACKSON, TENNESSEE - A Jackson police officer has been charged with reckless driving, according to Mike Browning, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Safety.
Charged was Thomas Derek Bowman, 24, of Lexington, who started with the Jackson Police Department on April 21. Jackson Police Chief Rick Staples said Bowman has been on a probationary period since he was hired, which is standard for new officers.
“The probation period lasts for two years,” Staples said.
Police Commander Dennis Mays said Bowman was served with a letter today informing him that he did not successfully complete his probationary period and his employment has been terminated.
Browning said that Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Greg Hopper clocked two “crotch rocket” motorcycles traveling at 124 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone Tuesday night in Henderson County.
Hopper first spotted the motorcycles around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 412, Browning said.
Read MoreMemphis Tennessee Police Officer J. Swain Uses Handcuffs Wrapped Around His Knuckles In Savage Attack On Transexual In Booking Room While Officer B. McRae Helps - Nurse Arrives And Ignores Victim - All Charges Against Victim Dropped And J. Swain Fired - Caught On Video
June 18th, 2008
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - Video obtained by Action News 5 shows a Memphis police officer beating a suspect at 201 Poplar in an apparent case of police brutality.
Videos here at WMC-TV Memphis.
The video, recorded February 12th, shows Duanna Johnson in the booking area at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center after an arrest for prostitution. The tape clearly shows a Memphis police officer walk over to Johnson - a transsexual - and hit her in the face several times.
“Actually he was trying to get me to come over to where he was, and I responded by telling him that wasn’t my name - that my mother didn’t name me a ‘faggot’ or a ‘he-she,’ so he got upset and approached me. And that’s when it started,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the officer was attempting to call her over to be fingerprinted. She said she chose not respond to the derogatory name the officer called her.
“He said, ‘I’m telling you, I’m giving you one more chance to get up.’ So I’m looking at him, and he started putting his gloves on, and seen him take out a pair of handcuffs,” Johnson said.
The officer hit Johnson several times with the handcuffs wrapped around his knuckles. In the video, you can see the flash of the metal. The tape shows another officer holding Johnson’s shoulders as she tries to protect herself.