Dave Clark Archives - Oak Ridge Today

DA: Granddaughter in murder case was malnourished, smothered

Posted at 10:24 am May 14, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The young granddaughter who died in Oak Ridge in 2011 was malnourished and had been smothered, District Attorney General Dave Clark said Friday, after the child’s grandmother pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last Tuesday.

Emergency workers and law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call at Teller Village Apartments around 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, 2011. The grandmother, Valerie Stenson, now 54, was trying to revive her granddaughter, Manhattan Inman, using cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, Clark said in a press release Friday.

“An autopsy reveled that the child was malnourished, and the cause of death was smothering,” said Clark, who is DA in the Seventh Judicial District (Anderson County).

Manhattan was two years and nine months old when she died, Clark said.

[Read more…]

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…]

CTF search finds meth, heroin, pills in Briceville

Posted at 11:42 am February 20, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, and charges are pending, a press release said. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville last week found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, a press release said. Charges are pending, the release said.

The Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force in Anderson County, which had search warrants, searched the home on Wednesday, February 13, according to a press release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

The search warrants led to the discovery of one pound and two ounces of methamphetamine, 21 grams of heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, the press release said. The suspect and owner of the property where the search warrants were served was located and interviewed, the release said. The approximate street value of the narcotics was $53,000.

The suspect was not identified in the press release. [Read more…]

Updated: Officer legally entitled to use deadly force in fatal shooting, DA says

Posted at 2:06 pm February 14, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has identified the man who died in a Monday night officer-involved shooting at Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road as Isaiah D. Ramirez, 26. Above, police investigate after a chase was reported along Emory Valley Road and there were reports of shots fired on Monday evening, Oct. 8, 2018. The parking lot at Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road was blocked off with yellow tape, and there was a large emergency response presence that included members of the Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and District Attorney General Dave Clark, right. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 4 p.m. Feb. 16.

An Oak Ridge police officer was legally entitled to use lethal force against a man who was driving toward the officer when he was struck by two bullets after a police chase in October, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said Thursday.

The shooting in the parking lot of the county courthouse and county offices on Emory Valley on October 8 killed Isaiah D. Ramirez, 36. The shooting was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is common in shootings that involve police officers. The case was assigned to TBI Agent Denise Woodby.

On Thursday, Clark announced that the investigation of the officer-involved shooting is complete. The investigation included a team of forensic scientists from the TBI Knoxville Violent Crime Response Team and forensic crime scene truck the day of the shooting, officer and witness statements, photographs and video recordings, laboratory testing and an autopsy, and evaluation of the crime scene and other observations, Clark said.

“Based upon the totality of the circumstances, Officer Nathan Gibson had a reasonable basis to believe at the time that the suspect, Isaiah Ramirez, posed a threat of death or serious bodily injury to him (Gibson),” Clark said in a press release. “Gibson met the requirement multiple times of verbally ordering Ramirez to stop. Thus, Gibson was legally entitled to use lethal force against Isaiah Ramirez. While gunshots were the immediate cause of Ramirez’s death, it was Ramirez’s own decisions and conduct that were responsible for his death. No criminal charges would be legal or appropriate against Officer Nathan Gibson.”

The results of the investigation were sent to Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith. Among the findings, according to Clark: Ramirez, who had warrants for his arrest, fled from police in a pickup truck on Cumberland View Drive and forced two officers to jump out of his way to avoid being struck and narrowly missed another; drove around police trying to stop him and did not comply with verbal orders to stop, including from an officer who had his firearm drawn, or with police lights and sirens in a residential area and then down Emory Valley Road; and drove toward Gibson, who was standing with his weapon pointed at Gibson in the parking lot of the county courthouse and offices on Emory Valley Road. [Read more…]

Tennessee Supreme Court will not hear Cromwell’s appeal

Posted at 1:13 pm January 29, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge resident Lee Harold Cromwell, 68, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on 28 counts of forgery and filling fraudulent liens during a hearing in Nashville criminal court on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Supreme Court will not hear an appeal of a criminal case filed against Lee Harold Cromwell, who is now 69 and was convicted of reckless vehicular homicide in Anderson County Criminal Court two years ago after a fatal crash after fireworks in Oak Ridge in 2015. Cromwell is pictured above during a hearing in a Nashville criminal court on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, when he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in a separate case involving 28 counts of forgery and filling fraudulent liens. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Supreme Court will not hear an appeal of the criminal case filed against Lee Harold Cromwell, who was convicted of homicide after a fatal crash after fireworks in Oak Ridge in 2015.

Cromwell, who is now 69, had been convicted of reckless vehicular homicide and aggravated assault in Anderson County Criminal Court at the end of a three-day trial in February 2017.

But in July 2018, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in Knoxville said Cromwell is eligible for a new trial on the aggravated assault charges. The court cited misleading and confusing jury instructions. The aggravated assault convictions, which were reversed by the appeals court, had helped to add seven years to Cromwell’s sentence.

The court upheld Cromwell’s one conviction of reckless vehicular homicide and his five-year sentence on that charge.

In August, Cromwell appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. [Read more…]

(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

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.

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Updated: No impact on local investigations, but FBI agents working without pay

Posted at 11:14 pm January 23, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 24.

Local law enforcement officers haven’t noticed an impact on investigations or criminal proceedings from the partial shutdown of the federal government, but agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has helped investigate crimes in Oak Ridge, are working without pay.

The shutdown is in its 33rd day, and it is the longest ever. It began Saturday, December 22, and it affects about 25 percent of the U.S. government, including the departments of Homeland Security and Justice, among other federal agencies. The shutdown hinges on a dispute between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress over whether to spend $5.7 billion to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

On Wednesday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said it has not observed any impact from the partial government shutdown, and the ORPD continues to work with its federal partners. Besides the FBI, the ORPD also works with, for example, the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said he is not aware of any impact at this time, including on investigations or criminal proceedings. Clark said he just met with the Anderson County sheriff and the county’s police chiefs on Tuesday, and “there was no mention of anyone experiencing issues.” [Read more…]

TBI investigating jail death

Posted at 12:53 pm January 18, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of an inmate at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton.

Here is what TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said: “At the request of Seventh District Attorney General Dave Clark, TBI special agents are investigating the apparent hanging death of an inmate at the Anderson County jail. On Wednesday, January 9, 24-year-old Michael Allen Matlock was found unresponsive in his cell. The investigation remains active and ongoing.” [Read more…]

YWCA Knoxville, Tennessee Valley celebrate renovated YWCA building

Posted at 4:24 pm October 29, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The YWCA building is pictured above on Oak Ridge Turnpike. (Submitted photo)

YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley are celebrating the opening of the renovated YWCA building in Oak Ridge with a ribbon cutting and open house today (Monday, October 29).

The celebration is scheduled from 4:30-7 p.m. at the YWCA building at 1660 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Assisted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin promptly at 4:30 p.m. with brief remarks by District Attorney General Dave Clark, Pastor Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, Ridgeview Behavioral Services Chief Executive Officer Brian Buuck, Katatra, a representative from Leadership Oak Ridge, class of 2018, and YWCA representatives, a press release said. Building tours will be offered following the ribbon cutting, and light refreshments will be served. [Read more…]

TBI identifies man killed in officer-involved shooting

Posted at 10:51 am October 9, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 11:55 a.m.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has identified the man who died in a Monday night officer-involved shooting in a courthouse parking lot on Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

The man has been identified as Isaiah D. Ramirez, 36.

Ramirez was reported to have struck an Oak Ridge police officer with a pickup truck before at least one officer fired shots at the vehicle, striking Ramirez, the TBI said Monday night.

The shooting near Anderson County General Sessions Court and other county offices followed a police pursuit that started on Cumberland View Drive along Emory Valley Road in east Oak Ridge at about 6:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said. The Oak Ridge Police Department tried to make a traffic stop, but Ramirez, who was pulling a utility trailer behind his pickup truck, didn’t stop, according to TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart. Ramirez reportedly had outstanding warrants. Residents of Emory Valley reported a police pursuit involving at least four police cars. [Read more…]

Man dies in police shooting after striking officer with vehicle

Posted at 11:16 pm October 8, 2018
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Police are investigating after a chase was reported along Emory Valley Road and there were reports of shots fired on Monday evening, Oct. 8, 2018. The parking lot at Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road is blocked off with yellow tape, and there is a large emergency response presence that includes members of the Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and District Attorney General Dave Clark, right. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A man who struck an Oak Ridge police officer with a vehicle died when at least one officer shot at him in the parking lot of Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road on Monday evening, Oct. 8, 2018, authorities said. The vehicle that struck an officer and was shot into is facing toward the camera at top right-center between an Oak Ridge Police Department SUV and an Oak Ridge Transit bus. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 9 a.m. Oct. 9.

A man who struck an Oak Ridge police officer with a vehicle died when at least one officer shot at him in a courthouse parking lot on Monday evening, authorities said.

The police pursuit and shooting started in a residential area along Emory Valley Road and ended at Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. It was reported at about 6:30 p.m. Monday.

The Oak Ridge Police Department had recognized a man in a vehicle who had outstanding warrants on Cumberland View Drive in east Oak Ridge and tried to make a traffic stop, said Leslie Earhart, public information officer for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The man reportedly had warrants for domestic assault and aggravated burglary. [Read more…]

TBI investigating shooting that involved officer on Emory Valley Road

Posted at 8:52 pm October 8, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Police are investigating after a chase was reported along Emory Valley Road and there were reports of shots fired on Monday evening, Oct. 8, 2018. The parking lot at Anderson County General Sessions Court on Emory Valley Road is blocked off with yellow tape, and there is a large emergency response presence that includes members of the Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and District Attorney General Dave Clark, right. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 9 p.m.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has agents and forensic scientists on the scene of an officer-involved shooting on Monday along Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge, a spokesperson said.

Update (11:45 p.m.): A man who struck an Oak Ridge police officer with a vehicle died when at least one officer opened fire in a courthouse parking lot on Monday evening, authorities said. See newer story here.

The incident on Monday evening, which was said to have included a police pursuit and shots fired, was reported in areas along Emory Valley Road, including a residential neighborhood and the parking lot of Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II. The courthouse parking lot was blocked off with yellow police/fire tape on Monday evening, and members of the Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and District Attorney General Dave Clark were there.

At about 8:30 p.m. Monday, TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said she was on her way to provide more information when possible. [Read more…]