21-year-old Kerry Brown was caught with a firearm at his Prewitt Lane residence on July 8th. When officers arrived at his home after a reckless endangerment call, they came into contact with Brown. Brown admitted that he removed the firearm and shell casings from the scene before they arrived. Further investigation revealed Brown pled guilty to a felony vehicle theft charge on December 2nd, 2022. A semi-automatic .380 caliber handgun was recovered from where Brown stated he stashed the gun. Brown was taken into custody for being a felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence.
Tag: tampering with evidence
Jayla Wright attempts to hide 16.5 grams of cocaine in back of patrol car during arrest
22-year-old Jayla Wright was caught with cocaine at Sonic on Fort Campbell Boulevard on May 1st. Officers conducted a buy-and-bust operation at Sonic and observed Chase Harrison, a drug dealer, pull up next to the vehicle he was supposed to sell to. The vehicle he was driving was registered to Wright, who was also in the vehicle with him. Officers moved in and placed Harrison and Wright in custody, placing them both in the back of a patrol car. Officers searched their vehicle, and no drugs were located in the vehicle. Officers then removed them from the police car and searched them again, but no drugs were found on them. Officers then searched the patrol car, and a bag of white power substance was located behind the seat the two were placed in. The white substance tested positive for cocaine and weighed 16.5 grams. Wright was charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with evidence, and possession for resale.
DUI: Letoya Vaughn kicks police officer in face at Circle K gas station
On April 29th, 38-year-old Letoya Vaughn was seen recklessly driving and assaulting officers at Circle K near Warfield Boulevard. The officer responded to a call concerning a reckless driver swerving into oncoming traffic before pulling into a Circle K gas station. When officers arrived, they noticed Vaughn walking toward her vehicle from the building. Officers approached Vaughn and immediately smelled alcohol on her breath. Officers also noticed her inability to balance, making her sway back and forth. When officers spoke to Vaughn, she denied driving the vehicle at all.
Officers then spoke with the person who made the call, and they successfully identified Vaughn as the driver. Officers then met with the manager of the Circle K, and he pulled up a video where Vaughn walked into the store with keys in her hand. Other employees at the Circle K informed officers that they believed Vaughn was under the influence of drugs. Officers asked Vaugn to perform sobriety tests, but she refused, so she was taken into custody. While placing her in the vehicle, Vaughn refused to listen to commands and stiffened her body with officers. This prompted officers to get more hands-on, and during this, Vaughn kicked an officer in the face. Following this, the officer searched the vehicle and found an open container of alcohol by the driver’s seat as well as a Styrofoam cup of alcohol in the center console cup holder. Vaughn was previously arrested on April 21st for an incident where she pointed a gun at a woman during an argument. Vaughn was charged with evidence tampering, assault against first responder, DUI, resisting arrest, and open container law on April 29th.
Garry Bissinger caught with fentanyl in Montgomery County Jail
On April 18th, 30-year-old Gary Bissinger was caught with fentanyl while being booked into Montgomery County Jail. While being taken into intake, officers found a bag of powdery substance on the floor. At the time, officers did not know where it came from. They spoke with Bissinger, who stated that the white powdery substance did not belong to him, and he did not know where it came from. The substance tested positive for fentanyl and weighed 1.4 grams.
On April 19th, officers viewed the video footage from the previous day and noticed the bag falling from Bissinger’s right leg onto the floor. Bissinger was charged with two counts of simple possession, one count of contraband in a penal institution, one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of shoplifting.
DUI: John Coleman drinks 4-5 beers before driving 83mph down Dover Road
23-year-old John Coleman was seen driving 83mph in a 45mph zone at Dover Road on March 7th. A traffic stop was conducted at the intersection of Dover Road and Highway 374. Officers made contact with Coleman, who looked visibly intoxicated. Coleman slurred his words as he told them he was driving to a party to protect his girlfriend. When Coleman was told to step out of the vehicle, he admitted to drinking 4-5 beers one hour before driving. Coleman later consented to sobriety tests and performed poorly. After being read implied consent, he refused to provide a signature. Two cold beers were found behind Coleman’s front seats while searching his car. The male sitting in the passenger seat claimed that one of the beers was his own and the other was Coleman’s. He exposed that Coleman was actively drinking the beer before the traffic stop. John Coleman was taken into custody and charged with tampering with evidence, implied consent, driving under the influence, speeding, and open container.
DUI: Jason White tells officers “Ain’t nobody going to stick me with no needle”
46-year-old Jason Lee White failed to yield to a patrol car’s right of way on Somerset Road in the early hours of February 11th. Then, after completing his turn, he entered the furthest lane. Officers observed this, so they conducted a traffic stop. They noticed a strong odor of alcohol as they approached the driver’s side and asked him to exit the vehicle to take sobriety tests. White consented and performed poorly. While White was being transported to Tennova, he repeatedly expressed that he would not consent to a blood draw with or without a warrant, telling them, “Ain’t nobody going to stick me with no needle.” White was taken into custody for tampering with evidence, failure to yield, improper turn, and driving under the influence.
Dearco Smith jailed after refusing to comply with police
32-year-old Dearco Smith was jailed after refusing to comply with officers on December 31st. Officers made contact with Smith, who was in his personal vehicle dropping off a shooting victim from a prior incident at Tennova Medical Center. Officers informed Smith that his vehicle was now considered a crime scene and that he could not move or retrieve anything from it. Smith was emotional and refused to comply with any commands given by officers. Smith then proceeded to get inside the vehicle and retrieve his cell phone despite being told not to several times. Smith was informed he would be detained for this action. Despite this, he continued refusing to cooperate. He began to actively resist arrest by pulling his arms away from officers as well as making threats of violence towards them. The shooting victim would be deceased moments later. Dearco Smith was taken into custody and charged with tampering with evidence and resisting arrest.
Laterris Drake caught with over 3 ounces of marijuana in his vehicle
21-year-old Laterris Drake was jailed on December 17th after police observed a vehicle speeding down I-24. The speed was locked at 81 mph in a 70 mph zone. The officer initiated a traffic stop, but the car didn’t stop and drove off at exit 8, throwing a large bag of marijuana and a Glock handgun out the window. The vehicle finally stopped at the QT gas station on Rossview Road, where he was identified by his state ID. During the search of his vehicle, small “nuggets” of marijuana were found throughout the car, and a small baggy of marijuana was found on the ground underneath, where Drake was handcuffed after he exited the vehicle. All the marijuana found, including the bag that was thrown, weighed in at 93 grams/3.30 oz. It was later discovered that Drake was charged with felony drug possession in May 2023. Laterris Drake was taken into custody and charged with resisting arrest, drug possession, possessing a weapon as a felon, and tampering with evidence.
Jhaquintes Johnson indicted in Clarksville’s largest cocaine distribution racket
22-year-old Jhaquintes Demarcus Johnson has been indicted by a March Montgomery County Grand Jury on multiple charges stemming from 2022 drug activity. On September 21, he was found with 180 grams of cocaine, marijuana, multiple loaded firearms, and more than $5,000 in cash on Shearor Street in Clarksville, along with drug paraphernalia – including baking soda, sandwich bags, a razor blade, a grinder, cup with residue, cigarillos, a pipe, digital scales, a rolling tray, and a pill bottle. He flushed drugs down a toilet during a raid that day and possessed a firearm. During the raid, he was also found to possess N-Cyclohexyl Methylone, an analogue of Methylone, a controlled substance, along with Oxycodone, crystal methamphetamine, and amphetamine.
Stevie Kelly indicted in Clarksville’s largest cocaine distribution racket
38-year-old Stevie Leonard Kelly has been indicted by a March Montgomery County Grand Jury on multiple charges stemming from 2022 drug activity. Detectives say that, along with others, he conspired to sell more than 300 grams of cocaine between July and September. On August 27, he conspired to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell. On September 21, he was found to possess over 100 grams of cocaine and $10,000 in cash on Shearor Street, along with a microwave, baking soda, spoons, a razor blade, a rolling tray, sandwich bags, a vacuum sealer with bags, and rolling papers. He is also accused of flushing drugs down a toilet on that day, along with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Floyd Johnson indicted in Clarksville’s largest cocaine distribution racket
37-year-old Floyd Rodriguez Johnson has been indicted by a March Montgomery County Grand Jury on multiple charges stemming from 2022 drug activity. Detectives say that, along with others, he conspired to sell more than 300 grams of cocaine between July and September. Johnson reportedly delivered cocaine to Christopher George Douglas Coleman on Shearor Street on July 5th. He conspired to buy a kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell on East College Street on July 6th. He then delivered cocaine to another party on July 7 on Peachers Mill Road.
He then conspired to buy a kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell and Domonique Powell on East College Street on July 14. He then sold cocaine to another person on Shearor Street on July 18. Floyd, along with another person, then conspired to buy a kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell on Verkler Drive on July 22. On July 26, he made another cocaine sale on Shearor Street to Erica Vashane Kelly, and again on August 14. Johnson then bought another kilogram of cocaine on East College Street on August 15. On August 19, he made another sale of cocaine to Christopher Winters on Shearor Street.
A day later, he sold and delivered cocaine to Shemar Wesley on Shearor Street. On August 27, he conspired to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell. On September 3, Johnson and another person conspired to purchase another kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell and Antonio Powell. On September 6, he reportedly bought a kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell. Days later, on September 10, he purchased another kilogram of cocaine from Anthony Powell. Johnson made another sale of cocaine on September 21. On that same day, he was found to possess over 100 grams of cocaine and $10,000 in cash on Shearor Street, along with a microwave, baking soda, spoons, a razor blade, a rolling tray, sandwich bags, vacuum sealer with bags, and rolling papers. He is also accused of flushing drugs down a toilet on that day, and possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon.
Bryce Hirkala tosses drugs into water after crashing BMW while on state probation
21-year-old Bryce Carl Hirkala was arrested Monday around midnight. Officers responding to a wreck at Little Hope Rd and Hwy 76 were told by a witness that the driver of the black BMW involved in the wreck was seen throwing a backpack into the water before authorities arrived on the scene. Bryce Hirkala was identified as the driver of the black BMW, and officers did recover a backpack from the water, which contained marijuana and drug-related paraphernalia, including a rolling tray and cigarillos. More marijuana and drug-related paraphernalia was found in the vehicle after being searched. He was arrested and transported to Montgomery County Jail for booking.
In August 2022, Hirkala was given judicial diversion on two felony drug charges and was placed on state probation.
