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Warrant: Argument between neighbors ends with fatal shooting, homicide charge

Posted at 10:06 pm November 25, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

George Michael Patterson
George Michael Patterson

Note: This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. Nov. 26.

An argument between neighbors ended with a fatal shooting in Rocky Top on Saturday morning, and one man has been charged with criminal homicide, according to Anderson County court records.

The shooting was reported just before 8 a.m. Saturday on Willow Lane in Rocky Top (the former Lake City).

An arrest warrant filed after the shooting said the man charged with criminal homicide, George Michael Patterson, 64, had been arguing with his neighbor, David Ray Roach Jr., 43, in front of Patterson’s home. Roach was initially in his vehicle during the argument, parked in the roadway, the warrant said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County General Sessions Court, criminal homicide, Dave Clark, David Ray Roach, fatal shooting, George Michael Patterson, homicide, Jim Shetterly, Maria Cutshaw, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Police Department, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, shooting, TBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

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Drug Take Back Day is Saturday in Oak Ridge, Clinton, Norris, Rocky Top

Posted at 1:26 pm October 25, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Anderson County is participating in the 16th Annual DEA Rx Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26. Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Collection sites will be located at the police departments listed below. Each department will be set up outside in their respective parking lots to receive the expired or unused medicines.

  • Clinton Police Department, 125 West Broad Street, Clinton
  • Norris Police Department, 9 West Circle Road, Norris (will begin at 8 a.m.)
  • Oak Ridge Police Department, 200 South Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge
  • Rocky Top Police Department, 104 Lawson Street, Rocky Top

The National Rx Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue, a press release said. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs, and that number has continued to climb in recent years. Studies show many of the misused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The Take Back Day provides an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths in the community and communities across the United States.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clinton, Community, Health, Norris, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Rocky Top Tagged With: ASAP of Anderson, DEA Rx Drug Take Back Day, Drug Take Back Day, Rx Drug Take Back Day

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Report: Shots fired from bridge over I-75

Posted at 12:19 pm August 15, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A truck driver reported that someone was firing a gun off the Fourth Street Bridge over Interstate 75 South in Rocky Top early Thursday morning.

Just after midnight, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Adam Warren responded to the scene, where he met up with Rocky Top Police Department officers already there. Dairy truck driver William Burk, of London, Kentucky, told Warren that he had been headed south on I-75 and spotted what he described as a “large vehicle,” either a truck or a sport utility vehicle, parked on the bridge without any lights on. As he neared the bridge, Burk said that he heard four distinct gunshots.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Top Stories Tagged With: Adam Warren, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Fourth Street Bridge, I-75, Interstate 75, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Police Department, shots fired

Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

Posted at 10:12 am April 24, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

ASAP of Anderson and police departments in Anderson County have formed a partnership to take back expired or unused medicines on Saturday.

It’s part of the 2019 Drug Enforcement Administration Rx Drug Take Back Day.

“Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Saturday,” a press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clinton, Community, Front Page News, Nonprofits, Norris, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Rocky Top Tagged With: ASAP of Anderson, Clinton Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug Take Back Day, National Rx Drug Take Back Day, Norris Police Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, prescription drugs, prescription medications, Rocky Top Police Department, unused medicine

Rocky Top woman charged with three counts of first-degree murder

Posted at 12:59 pm March 20, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The criminal homicide charge filed against Christy Viola Comer, 37, left, was sent to the Anderson County Grand Jury after a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. At right is defense attorney Leslie Hunt. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Christy Viola Comer, 38, of Rocky Top, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of J.C. Copeland, an 83-year-old man, during an alleged robbery in August. Comer, left, is pictured above during a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. At right is defense attorney Leslie Hunt. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A Rocky Top woman has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of an 83-year-old man during an alleged robbery in August.

Christy Viola Comer, 38, faces one count of first-degree murder for the premeditated and intentional killing of J.C. Copeland, according to an indictment filed by the Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton on March 5.

Comer faces two more charges of first-degree murder for allegedly killing Copeland while committing two other crimes, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary, according to the indictment.

The five-count indictment also charged Comer with those two other crimes, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. Comer took Copeland’s property violently through the use of a deadly weapon, and she entered Copeland’s home without permission, intending to commit a felony, according to the indictment.

Comer has an arraignment scheduled for the five felony charges on March 29 in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Anderson County, Courts, Courts, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Slider, Tennessee Tagged With: aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County grand jury, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Christy Viola Comer, criminal homicide, Dave Clark, Drew Winstead, Emily Faye Abbott, first-degree murder, J.C. Copeland, John Hannon, Knoxville Police Department, preliminary hearing, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Police Department, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

(For members) Testimony: Defendant in homicide case had planned to rob man

Posted at 2:41 pm January 24, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The homicide charge filed against Christy Viola Comer, 37, middle, was sent to the Anderson County Grand Jury after a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. At right is defense attorney Leslie Hunt. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

CLINTON—The defendant in a criminal homicide case in Rocky Top in August had planned to rob the 83-year-old man who died because “it would be easy,” according to court testimony Tuesday.

The body of the victim, J.C. Copeland, who has been described as a “sweet old man,” was found partially wrapped in a pink blanket underneath a porch at a mobile home on Jacksboro Avenue on August 31, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent John Hannon. Copeland is believed to have been strangled until he died, according to court records. There was white rope around Copeland’s neck and other parts of his body, including his wrists and ankles, Hannon testified during a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton on Tuesday.

Inside Copeland’s home, investigators found a fresh brown stain on the floor near his front door, white strings similar to the material found around his neck, and in one possible sign of a struggle, cigarettes on the floor, according to Hannon’s testimony. An acrylic painted press-on fingernail was found in the living room, Hannon said. It’s similar to the type of press-on fingernail that a woman might wear, Hannon said when questioned by prosecutor Emily Faye Abbott.

Outside the home, Copeland’s vehicle was missing.

The rest of this story, which you will find only on Oak Ridge Today, is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or recent contributor to Oak Ridge Today. 

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Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Premium Content, Rocky Top, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County grand jury, Christy Viola Comer, criminal homicide, Dave Clark, Don Layton, Drew Winstead, Emily Faye Abbott, homicide, J.C. Copeland, Jim Shetterly, John Hannon, Knoxville Police Department, Leslie Hunt, Mitch Wade, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Police Department, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, TBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Affidavit: Woman admits stealing from 83-year-old who was allegedly killed

Posted at 1:42 pm September 5, 2018
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Christy Viola Comer

Christy Viola Comer

 

The Rocky Top woman charged with homicide last week admitted stealing from an 83-year-old man who was believed to have been strangled at his home on Friday, according to Anderson County court records.

The body of J.C. Copeland was found outside of his home in the 600 block of Jacksboro Avenue in Rocky Top on Friday morning, authorities said last week.

Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation started investigating at the request of Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark and with help from the Rocky Top Police Department, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, and Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force.

“During the course of the investigation, authorities developed information leading to Comer as an individual responsible for Copeland’s death,” the TBI said in a press release over the weekend.

An affidavit filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton said Christy Viola Comer, 37, who has been charged with criminal homicide, conspired to participate in the robbery and killing of Copeland. Copeland is believed to have been strangled to death, the affidavit said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, criminal homicide, Dave Clark, homicide, J.C. Copeland, Jim Shetterly, Mitch Wade, Rocky Top Police Department, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Rocky Top woman charged with homicide in death of 83-year-old

Posted at 12:18 am September 2, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Christy Viola Comer

Christy Viola Comer

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:20 p.m. September 3.

A Rocky Top woman has been arrested and charged with homicide in the death of an 83-year-old man, state authorities said.

Christy Viola Comer, 37, was arrested by special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with help from several local law enforcement agencies, a TBI press release said.

On Friday morning, authorities found the body of J.C. Copeland outside of his home in the 600 block of Jacksboro Avenue in Rocky Top. TBI agents started investigating at the request of Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark and with help from the Rocky Top Police Department, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, and Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Tennessee Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Arnold "Rocky" Warren, Christy Viola Comer, criminal homicide, Dave Clark, homicide, J.C. Copeland, Rocky Top Police Department, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, TBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Today is prescription drug take back day

Posted at 10:13 am April 28, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

You can get rid of unwanted, expired, and unused prescription medications, along with other medicines, in Clinton, Oak Ridge, and Rocky Top today (Saturday, April 28).

Anderson County is participating in the 2018 DEA Rx Drug Take Back Day, a press release said. The DEA is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Organizations involved in the Drug Take Back Day are ASAP of Anderson, Clinton Police Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, and Rocky Top Police Department.

Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. Drive-through collections sites will be located at the police departments listed below. Each department will be set-up outside in their respective parking lots to receive the expired or unused medicines. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clinton, Front Page News, Health, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Rocky Top Tagged With: 2018 DEA Rx Drug Take Back Day, ASAP of Anderson, Clinton Police Department, DEA, drug addiction, National Rx Drug Take Back Day, Oak Ridge Police Department, overdose deaths, prescription drugs, prescription medications, Rocky Top Police Department, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

Anderson County residents among 44 indicted in meth distribution conspiracy

Posted at 8:28 pm March 26, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A group of Anderson County residents was part of an alleged methamphetamine distribution ring that involved 44 people and a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in East Tennessee and elsewhere, federal officials said Monday.

A 30-count indictment was returned against the 44 people by a federal grand jury in Greeneville in East Tennessee on January 9. Among those indicted were nine residents of Clinton, Oliver Springs, Powell, and Rocky Top, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Eastern District of Tennessee on Monday. There were also four Knoxville residents indicted and a dozen in Bristol and Kingsport in upper East Tennessee, among other defendants in Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Clinton Police Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oliver Springs Police Department, and Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County were among the agencies that helped with the investigation, the press release said.

Here are the people that were indicted in the alleged methamphetamine distribution conspiracy: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Clinton, Front Page News, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Top Stories, U.S. Tagged With: 30-count indictment, Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Christal Gale Bean, Clinton Police Department, conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, Crystal Mcguire, David Alan Emery, David Dunlap, East Tennessee, Eastern District of Tennessee, Elizabeth Jean Patterson, federal grand jury, firearms charge, Gerald Brummett, J. Gregory Bowman, Kristen Perkins, Larkin Henry Hensley, Lashawn Johnson, Leon Jordan, Leslie William Steelman, meth, meth distribution, meth distribution conspiracy, methamphetamine, methamphetamine conspiracy, methamphetamine distribution, methamphetamine distribution ring, Mitchell Chadwick Dorris, Oak Ridge Police Department, OCDETF, Oliver Springs Police Department, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Randall Wood, Robert M. Reeves, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Stacy Jo Ferguson, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. District Court

City Council agrees to give $30K per year for five years to General Sessions Court

Posted at 9:10 pm April 10, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson-County-General-Sessions-Court-Interior-Oak-Ridge-Nov-19-2015

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed on Monday, April 10, 2017, to contribute $30,000 per year for five years to continue operating Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. The interior of the current courthouse on Bus Terminal Road is pictured above. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed on Monday to contribute $30,000 per year for five years to continue operating Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

The money will be used for court operations and capital costs for Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge.

Council approved the funding in a 6-0 vote, with Council member Hans Vogel absent.

The city and the Oak Ridge City Council have supporting having the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge since it started in 1993, according to City Manager Mark Watson.

“We believe that it is important to have that here,” Watson said. “It does save us a little bit of time.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Tennessee, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, Hans Vogel, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council, Terry Frank

City to consider giving $30,000 per year to General Sessions Court

Posted at 2:37 pm April 7, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson-County-General-Sessions-Court-Interior-Oak-Ridge-Nov-19-2015

The 18-month lease on the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, on Bus Terminal Road in Oak Ridge expires in June, and Anderson County commissioners are taking steps to move the court to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. The interior of the courthouse on Bus Terminal Road is pictured above. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider approving $30,000 in funding per year for five years for the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge.

The money would be used for court operations and capital costs. Council will consider the funding during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

Anderson County commissioners have cited the expected Oak Ridge contribution in their discussions of keeping the court in Oak Ridge and moving it from a private building on Bus Terminal Road to a county-owed building on Emory Valley Road.

The City of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge City Council have supported having the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge since its start on February 1, 1993, City Manager Mark Watson said in an April 4 memo to Council members. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County General Sessions Court, City of Oak Ridge, General Sessions Court, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Municipal Building, Vintage Development Corporation

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