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Woman points handgun at officers, who fire shots

Posted at 12:04 pm August 3, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Charges pending against suspect

A 46-year-old woman who had threatened to harm herself on Jonathan Lane on Saturday night abruptly pointed a handgun at officers, who responded by firing multiple shots, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. None of the shots hit the woman, who was then subdued and later taken to Methodist Medical Center for evaluation and treatment, a press release said.

Three police officers had responded to 123 Jonathan Lane at 11:38 p.m. Saturday to check on the woman’s welfare, the ORPD press release said. The officers arrived within three minutes and observed a female subject on the sidewalk armed with a handgun, the release said.

“Officers directed her to place the handgun on the ground; however, the subject refused to follow the officers’ commands and alternated holding the handgun to her head and throat,” the release said. “As officers continued to talk to her, she abruptly pointed the handgun at the officers, who responded by firing multiple shots, none of which struck the subject. The subject was then subdued by the officers without further incident. Additional officers and paramedic units responded to the scene, and the suspect was transported to Methodist Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.”

The press release said charges against the suspect are pending, and no more information will be released at this time.

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: handgun, Jonathan Lane, Methodist Medical Center, Oak Ridge Police Department, officers, ORPD

Firefighters put out car fire on Manhattan Avenue

Posted at 10:37 pm July 23, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Manhattan Avenue Car Fire

The Oak Ridge Fire Department extinguishes a car fire on Manhattan Avenue on Monday afternoon.

 

The Oak Ridge Fire Department extinguished a car fire on Manhattan Avenue during a busy Monday afternoon this week.

There were no reports of injuries in the car fire, which appeared to destroy the interior of the car.

Oak Ridge Today has requested more information from the Fire Department, and we will update this story with new information as it becomes available.

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: car fire, Manhattan Avenue, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Today

Honors: Oak Ridge firefighter receives national accreditation

Posted at 2:11 am July 20, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Kerry Osborne

Kerry Osborne

The Center for Public Safety Excellence has notified Captain Kerry Osborne of the Oak Ridge Fire Department that he has received national accreditation as a fire officer.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence Inc., or CPSE, is a nonprofit organization that, for more than a decade, has helped local public safety agencies around the world streamline and improve the services they provide their communities, a press release said. Through its individual commissions, CPSE provides programs that include accreditation for fire and emergency service agencies and professional designations for senior-level fire and emergency service officers.

The press release said Osborne has worked in the emergency services field for more than 21 years and has been with the ORFD since 2007, serving as a captain since 2012. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Honors and Spotlight, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: accreditation, Center for Public Safety Excellence, CPSE, Darryl Kerley, emergency services, fire, fire instructor, fire officer, Josh Waldo, Kerry Osborne, Oak Ridge Fire Chief, paramedic

Atlanta burglary suspect jailed after high-speed police chase, CPD says

Posted at 8:40 pm July 19, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Victor Allen Webb

Victor Allen Webb

A 26-year-old Georgia man remained in jail on Saturday after a high-speed police chase on Friday that started in Clinton and ended between Oak Ridge and Oliver Springs, authorities said.

The suspect, Victor Allen Webb of Atlanta, is facing charges in connection with at least two local home burglaries, the Clinton Police Department said in a press release.

On Friday morning, a CPD officer on special neighborhood patrol spotted the suspect vehicle near the scene of burglaries this week, the release said.

“I had asked Patrolman Brian Galloway to keep an eye on homes in the western end of Clinton between Charles G. Seivers Boulevard and the river, due to recent burglaries,” Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough said. “When officer Galloway attempted to stop the white Kia, instead of stopping, the suspect continued on.”

Reports indicate that the pursuit continued through parts of Oak Ridge, finally ending on Oliver Springs Highway (Highway 61), the CPD said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Clinton, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, arrest, Brian Galloway, burglaries, burglary, Charles G. Seivers Boulevard, Clinton, Clinton Police Department, CPD, high-speed chase, Highway 61, Jason Lawson, jewelry, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oliver Springs, Oliver Springs Highway, Rusty Carr, spike strips, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Vaughn Becker, Victor Allen Webb

Bullets for blanks negligent, but rounds not put into guns during police training, attorney says

Posted at 10:21 pm July 13, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Today

KNOXVILLE—The Oak Ridge police lieutenant who sent deactivated .38-caliber pistol ammunition and live .223-caliber rifle rounds rather than blanks for use in a training session three years ago was negligent, an attorney said Thursday.

But the mistake was detected before the live rounds were put into guns, and there was no imminent danger or harm to anyone, said Benjamin K. Lauderback, who represented the City of Oak Ridge in oral arguments before the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Knoxville on Thursday.

The police officer who detected the error, former Oak Ridge Police Department Sgt. Mark Coffey, filed a formal complaint two days after the August 20, 2011, training session, known as an “active shooter” response. He resigned a few months later in October, and in August 2012, he filed a lawsuit in Anderson County Circuit Court alleging retaliation and wrongful discharge.

In the lawsuit, Coffey said other ORPD employees retaliated against him after he filed the complaint against Lt. Brad Jenkins, who supplied the ammunition. Coffey said he had been forced to resign and was “constructively discharged.” Before he left the job, Coffey said, he had been re-assigned to work under Jenkins, and he resigned because of the alleged retaliation and fears for his personal safety. He sought $600,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

The city won a summary judgement, which is like a dismissal, in August 2013. Anderson County Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge did not find that Coffey’s working conditions were bad enough that an ordinary person couldn’t tolerate them, Lauderback said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, State, Top Stories Tagged With: active shooter, ammunition, Anderson County Circuit Court, Benjamin K. Lauderback, blanks, Brad Jenkins, Charles D. Susano Jr., City of Oak Ridge, complaint, constructive discharge, constructively discharged, D. Michael Swiney, Don Elledge, Jim Akagi, John W. McClarty, lawsuit, live rounds, Mark Coffey, Matthew Tedford, negligent, Oak Ridge Police Department, oral arguments, ORPD, reckless endangerment, retaliation, rounds, summary judgement, Tennessee Court of Appeals, Thomas Leveille, work conditions

Oak Ridge police officer injured in two-car crash recovering at home

Posted at 11:52 am July 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Officer Crash Response

Oak Ridge police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers remove an injured police officer from a police car after a two-vehicle collision on Sunday afternoon at the intersection of South Illinois and Rutgers avenues.

Information from WYSH Radio

Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Cassen Jackson-Garrison, who was injured in a two-vehicle collision on Sunday afternoon, is recovering at home.

He suffered a severe concussion in the Sunday afternoon accident and was released from the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Tuesday.

Jackson-Garrison turned on his emergency lights while responding to an emergency call and was trying to cross the intersection of Illinois and Rutgers avenues at around 2:15 p.m. Sunday when his patrol car was hit on the driver’s side by a car headed east on Illinois. Neither occupant of the other car—64-year-old Carolyn Cooper and 30-year-old Lindsay Cooper, both of Knoxville—were hurt in the accident, which is being investigated by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, Tennessee, Top Stories Tagged With: Carolyn Cooper, Cassen Jackson-Garrison, Central High, concussion, Lindsay Cooper, Oak Ridge Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Vanderbilt

Former Manhattan Project headquarters, Groves home damaged in fire

Posted at 12:36 pm July 7, 2014
By John Huotari 6 Comments

Luther Brannon Oak Ridge Turnpike House Fire

The historic Luther Brannon House was damaged, but no injuries were reported in this house fire on Oak Ridge Turnpike early Monday morning. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, commander of the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II, once lived here, and he had his headquarters in this single-story bungalow, which was built in 1941 and soon acquired by the federal government.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 p.m. July 8.

A historic house that once served as a home and headquarters for Gen. Leslie R. Groves during the top-secret Manhattan Project in World War II was heavily damaged in a fire early Monday morning.

No injuries were reported in the house fire, which was reported at 1:36 a.m. Monday.

The one-story stone bungalow at 151 Oak Ridge Turnpike is known as the Luther Brannon House, and it’s just west of Melton Lake Drive and next to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it was the first home in Oak Ridge to be privately owned.

Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley said it appears that the Monday morning fire started in the kitchen. Owner Danny Brannon and his daughter were returning from a movie when they found the home on fire. They opened the front door and found the home filled with hot, black smoke, an ORFD press release said. Brannon opened the basement door to find that area clear, but he found fire coming from the kitchen window in the back of the house. The family called 911.

“We have not been able to determine what the cause is,” Kerley said. The Fire Department is waiting for an insurance company, which is sending an investigator and claims adjuster, before continuing its investigation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Fire, Government, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: American Red Cross, Danny Brannon, Darryl Kerley, Elza, fire, Freels Bend Cabin, J.B. Jones House, Leslie Groves, Leslie R. Groves, Luther Brannon, Luther Brannon House, Manhattan Project, National Historic Register, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Turnpike, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, Owen Hackworth, World War II

Police officer, two others taken to hospital after Sunday afternoon crash

Posted at 8:46 pm July 6, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

South Illinois Avenue Police Car Crash

An Oak Ridge police officer driving a police car and two occupants of a second car were taken to the hospital after a Sunday afternoon crash at South Illinois and Rutgers avenues.

 

An Oak Ridge police officer driving a police car and two occupants of a second car were taken to the hospital after a Sunday afternoon crash at South Illinois and Rutgers avenues.

The two-car crash occurred at about 2:12 p.m. Sunday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said in a statement.

The officer, the only occupant of the police vehicle, was taken by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, ORPD Capt. Charles R. Smith said in the statement. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Charles R. Smith, crash, hospital, Methodist Medical Center, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Rutgers Avenue, South Illinois Avenue, Tennessee Highway Patrol, University of Tennessee Medical Center

Our Hero, #14: Brayden a ‘lively boy,’ attended Woodland, organs to be donated

Posted at 10:02 am June 25, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Brayden Keith Pearson

Brayden Pearson, Our Hero #14 (Submitted photo)

By Sara VanLandingham

On Saturday, June 21, while swimming at Clark Park in Oak Ridge, Brayden Keith Pearson, age 8, began having trouble while snorkeling and was removed from the lake. Family and friends performed CPR, and 911 was called. Oak Ridge Fire and Police Departments responded. The fire department took over life-saving operations and Brayden was flown via UT Life Star to Children’s Hospital. Despite rescue companies’ life-saving efforts, Brayden was pronounced dead at 11:35 a.m. on Monday, June 23, but remained on life support.

Brayden was a lively little boy who attended Woodland Elementary School and played as #14 Boys and Girls Club of America Little League team. The family has decided the best way to continue Brayden’s zest for life is through organ donation to children currently in need. The family asks that anyone wishing to support them please donate to the Brayden Medical Fund at youcaring.com or directly to Children’s Hospital in Brayden’s name.

Due to the enormous outpouring of support, the family will be holding a public memorial service at Click Funeral Home on Middlebrook Pike. Arrangements to be announced or more info can be seen by visiting http://www.clickfuneralhome.com. Anyone planning to participate in the funeral procession is asked to contact Click funeral home directly for time, location, and instructions on lining up. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Brayden Keith Pearson, Brayden Pearson, Children's Hospital, Clark Center Park, Clark Park, Sara VanLandingham, Woodland Elementary School

Police arrest driver who resisted officer, hit steel post at Rocky Top

Posted at 1:25 pm June 24, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Rocky Top Steel Pole Damage

Police have arrested the Knoxville man who resisted an officer at a Rocky Top convenience store early Tuesday morning before hitting this steel pole in the gas station’s parking lot.

 

Knox County and Oak Ridge officers have arrested the Knoxville man who resisted an officer before he accelerated toward a Rocky Top store and hit a steel pole in the gas station’s parking lot early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Sherrius Smith, 20, was arrested at an apartment on West Vista Ridge Way in Knoxville at about 11:10 a.m. Tuesday by members of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Division and Oak Ridge Police Department Special Projects Unit, the ORPD said in a press release. He was transferred to the ORPD, which is taking him to the Anderson County Detention Center in Clinton, where he will face the following charges, a press release said:

  • two counts of aggravated assault,
  • possession of schedule VI controlled substances for resale, [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, Anderson County Detention Facility, evading arrest, gas station, Knox County, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of schedule VI controlled substances for resale, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, Rocky Top, Sherrius Smith, Special Projects Unit, store, violations of a drug free school zone

Man who allegedly fired pistol charged with aggravated assault

Posted at 9:24 am June 24, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Wakefield Road Police Standoff

A man who allegedly shot one round from a pistol during a disturbance in a parking lot at an apartment complex on Wakefield Road on Monday has been charged with six counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless endangerment, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. A woman has been charged with tampering with evidence.

 

An Oak Ridge man who allegedly fired one shot from a pistol during a disturbance in a parking lot on Wakefield Road on Monday has been charged with six counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless endangerment, authorities said.

Police responded to the disturbance call, which involved several people, at an apartment complex at 105 Wakefield Road at about 7:40 p.m. Monday, an Oak Ridge Police Department press release said. During the disturbance, a man allegedly fired one shot from a pistol, the release said.

Before officers arrived, witnesses said, the suspect entered Apartment #E, and he possessed a second firearm, the press release said. ORPD officers arrived and set up a perimeter around the apartment building. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Abacuc Vazquez, aggravated assault, apartment, disturbance, Megan Loy, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, Wakefield Road

Police: Man flees after driving toward store, hitting steel post in parking lot

Posted at 8:57 am June 24, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

A Knoxville man fled after resisting an officer, driving toward Rocky Top Convenience Store on Oak Ridge Turnpike, and hitting a steel post in the gas station’s parking lot early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department is still searching for the man, identified as Sherrius Smith, 20, of Viking Road in Knoxville. Officers are also searching for a 17-year-old female who was in the car with Smith.

Two ORPD officers responded to Rocky Top at about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday to investigate a suspicious black sedan in the parking lot, occupied by Smith and the juvenile, a press release said. Smith and the juvenile were reportedly intoxicated and had been involved in a verbal disturbance earlier after exiting the store, the ORPD said in the release. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: convenience store, disturbance, driving toward store, gas station, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, resisting an officer, Rocky Top, Sherrius Smith

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