Oak Ridge Today

DA: No charges will be filed in fatal police shooting

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No criminal charges will be filed against three Oak Ridge Police Department officers after a fatal shooting on Briar Road in August, the county’s top prosecutor said Monday.

Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark released his report about the police shooting on Monday morning.

The report said that the man who died in the shooting, Fred J. Arcera, 25, was a U.S. Army veteran who had mental health problems and was reported to be suicidal—telling officers to kill him—and he had large butcher knives and had threatened officers, moving toward them with the knives that Saturday night.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the shooting, which is common after law enforcement officers fatally shoot someone.

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For members: Mason indicted on attempted murder, assault charges

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Charles Mason Preliminary Hearing July 25 2019

An Anderson County man with two homicide convictions and a 28-year prison sentence for federal drug and gun convictions has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges, after he allegedly tried to shoot a deputy in April 2019.

Charles Edward Mason, 53, was indicted on the one count of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault, and other charges in November. The other charges are two counts of interfering with a 911 call and one count of resisting arrest. Mason pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton on Thursday.

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Charles Mason Preliminary Hearing July 25 2019
Charles Edward Mason, 53, has been indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on one count of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault, among other charges. He pleaded not guilty in Anderson County Circuit Court on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. Mason is pictured above during a preliminary hearing in July 2019. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 12:25 p.m. Feb. 2.

An Anderson County man with two homicide convictions and a 28-year prison sentence for federal drug and gun convictions has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges, after he allegedly tried to shoot a deputy in April 2019.

Charles Mason Preliminary Hearing July 25 2019

An Anderson County man with two homicide convictions and a 28-year prison sentence for federal drug and gun convictions has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges, after he allegedly tried to shoot a deputy in April 2019.

Charles Edward Mason, 53, was indicted on the one count of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault, and other charges in November. The other charges are two counts of interfering with a 911 call and one count of resisting arrest. Mason pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton on Thursday.

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Oak Ridge man charged with second robbery

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Tyrone Partridge

An Oak Ridge man has been charged with a second robbery, this one of a gas station in Claxton.

Partridge, 43, had already been charged by the Oak Ridge Police Department this month with the robbery of J&C Market on East Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Now, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office has charged him with aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and theft in the December 29 robbery of the Marathon gas station on Edgemoor Road in Claxton, a press release said. The felony warrants were obtained by Sheriff’s Office detective Josh Cardwell. Partridge reportedly brandished a firearm and demanded the Marathon employee empty the cash register, the press release said. He fled the scene with cash before deputies arrived, the release said. The Marathon employee was able to provide a physical description and a video recording showing the incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

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For members: Mason sentenced to 28 years for gun, drug charges after allegedly trying to shoot deputy

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Charles Mason Preliminary Hearing July 25 2019

An Anderson County man previously convicted of two homicides and charged with attempted murder last year after allegedly trying to shoot a deputy was sentenced to more than 28 years in federal prison on Wednesday on federal gun and drug charges.

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Charles Mason Preliminary Hearing July 25 2019
One count of attempted first-degree murder and five aggravated assault charges filed against Charles Edward Mason, now 53, of Anderson County, were sent to the grand jury after a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton on Thursday, July 25, 2019. Mason was sentenced to more than 28 years on federal gun and drug charges in the case in a U.S. District Court hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 1:40 p.m. Dec. 10.

KNOXVILLE—An Anderson County man previously convicted of two homicides and charged with attempted murder last year after allegedly trying to shoot a deputy was sentenced to more than 28 years in federal prison on Wednesday on federal gun and drug charges.

Charles Mason Preliminary Hearing July 25 2019

An Anderson County man previously convicted of two homicides and charged with attempted murder last year after allegedly trying to shoot a deputy was sentenced to more than 28 years in federal prison on Wednesday on federal gun and drug charges.

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Two killed in car-motorcycle crash

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Two people died in a collision between a car and motorcycle on Clinton Highway on Thursday afternoon, law enforcement officers said.

The crash was reported at about 2:46 p.m. Thursday at East Wolf Valley Road.

Zachary Johnston, 29, of Clinton, and Stephanie Whitaker, 31, of Knoxville died in the crash, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol report.

Johnston was driving a 2004 Honda Shadow Aero motorcycle, and Whitaker was a passenger, the report said.

The THP said the other vehicle, a 2001 Honda Accord car, was driven by Casey Hall, 38, of Heiskell.

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Warrants: Claxton couple allegedly bought 20 grams of heroin per day for resale

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Timothy Duane Fritz

A husband and wife in Claxton allegedly told police officers during a narcotics-related search on Wednesday that they bought 20 grams of heroin per day for resale, and they had been selling the illegal drug for about six months, according to Anderson County court records.

Agents who searched the home on King Street with a warrant last week found a suspected fentanyl-heroin compound that weighed about 10 grams, according to court affidavits and Simon Byrne, director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force.

The agents also found seven guns, suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia that included baggies and scales, ammunition and magazines, and a large amount of cash, according to the affidavits, which were filed by CTF agent Perry Lewis.

The suspected heroin was in several bags, and it tested positive for a fentanyl compound, said the affidavits, which were filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. The husband and wife, Timothy Duane Fritz, 48, and Atosha Leann Fritz, 41, said they got the heroin from an unknown man in Knoxville, according to Lewis.

The weapons found during the search on Wednesday included a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, a Lorcin .22-caliber handgun, an Anderson AR15 rifle, a Taurus Curve .380 handgun, a Smith and Wesson .22 revolver, a Colt Police Positive .38 handgun, and an Escort Magnum 12-gauge shotgun, the affidavits said.

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Ice cream truck driver charged with aggravated kidnapping allegedly had gun

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Troy Allen Stansberry, 29, of Knoxville, was arrested Aug. 27, 2020, after he allegedly kidnapped a 15-year-old Clinton girl in an ice cream truck and took her to a hotel in Caryville “for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity,” according to the Clinton Police Department. (Photo courtesy CPD)

The ice cream truck driver who allegedly kidnapped a Clinton girl in July had a pistol and threatened to shoot the girl if she didn’t get into his vehicle, according to a court affidavit.

Troy Allen Stansberry, 29, of Knoxville, took the 15-year-old girl, who had been reported as missing, from a Clinton neighborhood to a Budget Host Inn in Caryville “for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity,” according to the affidavit and the Clinton Police Department.

The girl, who is not being publicly identified, told police that she entered the Pela Ice Cream truck after Stansberry showed her the pistol and threatened to shoot her if she did not get in, according to the affidavit. The girl did not want to make Stansberry mad, so she got into the vehicle, said the affidavit, which was filed by Clinton Police Department Sergeant Scott Gregory.

Stansberry has been charged with aggravated kidnapping. Stansberry took the girl without consent or permission, the affidavit said.

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For members: Thousands of movies, games, ink cartridges seized from McGuire, Packard’s, indictment says

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Law enforcement officers who searched McGuire Used Books and Packard’s stores in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Kingston more than two years ago seized thousands of movies, video games, and printer ink cartridges, and after the searches and seizures, an Oak Ridge man was charged with money laundering, organized retail crime, and theft, according to an indictment filed in Anderson County in June.

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Russell Barker and the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force executed search warrants at McGuire Used Books on Thursday afternoon, May 24, 2018. The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sold used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—lasted hours and continued throughout the night. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Law enforcement officers who searched McGuire Used Books and Packard’s stores in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Kingston more than two years ago seized thousands of movies, video games, and printer ink cartridges, and after the searches and seizures, an Oak Ridge man was charged with money laundering, organized retail crime, and theft, according to an indictment filed in Anderson County in June.

More than 50,000 items were seized, according to a tally of the exhibits included with the indictment.

Law enforcement officers who searched McGuire Used Books and Packard’s stores in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Kingston more than two years ago seized thousands of movies, video games, and printer ink cartridges, and after the searches and seizures, an Oak Ridge man was charged with money laundering, organized retail crime, and theft, according to an indictment filed in Anderson County in June.

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ACSO asks for help identifying person who died in apparent suicide

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The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help identifying a person who died in an apparent suicide.

The Sheriff’s Office responded to Bacon Springs Lane in Marlow, just north of Oak Ridge, at 3:52 p.m. Sunday.

A family had been walking in the area when they found a human skull, said Tyler Mayes, ACSO spokesperson and director of administrative services.

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AC EMS responds to suspected COVID-19 cases, call volume drops

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Photo courtesy Anderson County EMS

As of Tuesday, Anderson County Emergency Medical Services had responded to more than 40 suspected COVID-19 calls since mid-March, Director Nathan Sweet said last week.

As of Tuesday, only one patient transported by Anderson County EMS had tested positive for COVID-19, Sweet said.

The suspected COVID-19 calls have come from across Anderson County: Oak Ridge, Norris, Clinton, Rocky Top, Marlow, Medford—”really just about anywhere in the county,” Sweet said.

The suspected COVID-19 calls are being screened by 911 emergency call centers in Anderson County, Clinton, and Oak Ridge to better prepare emergency responders before they arrive at the call site.

“If they meet any of the screening criteria, our crews are responding in appropriate personal protective equipment as a precaution for safety,” Sweet said.

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Jail population down, mostly due to COVID-19

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Anderson County Detention Facility
The Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton is pictured above.

The number of inmates at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton has fallen significantly, mostly due to COVID-19, a law enforcement official said last week.

On Wednesday, there were 297 inmates at the jail, which was more than 100 inmates below the average, said Tyler Mayes, director of administrative services for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is predominantly a result of COVID-19,” Mayes said. COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

No one had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, Mayes said.

He said local jails across Tennessee are seeing similar reductions in the number of inmates as low risk, non-violent offenders are being placed on pre-trail supervision or being released on a low bond.

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Sheriff’s Office checking temperatures at jail, cleaning cells, patrol cars

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Anderson County Detention Facility Pod Construction
The Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton is pictured above.

Hoping to prevent the infection or spread of COVID-19, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said it is checking the temperature of everyone entering the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton and is using a hospital-grade disinfectant to clean the jail and patrol cars.

If a person has a fever and symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the Sheriff’s Office said it will make a decision on whether to admit them on a case-by-case basis while talking to the office of Seventh District Attorney General Dave Clark.

The Sheriff’s Office said its maintenance staff is cleaning the cells, walls, and floors of the Detention Facility more frequently than normal using a hospital-grade disinfectant that will help kill germs.

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