Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith will speak to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge on Tuesday.
The meeting will be virtual, conducted online, because of COVID-19. It is scheduled to start at noon Tuesday, January 19.
Smith has served with the Oak Ridge Police Department since 2012. He served as a lieutenant for two years before being promoted to captain and then deputy chief, a press release said. He was appointed ORPD chief in October 2018.
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The baby boy found dead near the river bank along Melton Lake Greenway in March remains unidentified, and the Oak Ridge Police Department is offering a $1,500 reward for information about the boy.
The Oak Ridge Police Department has named the baby boy “Wyatt,” which authorities have said means “little warrior.”
Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith has pledged $500 of the $1,500 reward being offered by the police department for information about the boy.
The ORPD has received $950 in community donations to use for a memorial for baby Wyatt. ORPD officers and the Oak Ridge Fire Department set up a memorial in baby Wyatt’s name near a parking area along the Clinch River at Edgemoor Road in April.
The baby boy’s body was found near the river bank just north of the Edgemoor Road bridge on Thursday, March 26. The boy’s umbilical cord was still attached before he was placed in the water, Smith said in a Facebook video in April. A piece of clothing was with Wyatt, although it’s not being described for investigative reasons.
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Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. June 11.
More than 1,000 people marched and protested in Oak Ridge last week, asking for equal treatment for black people.
They said the nation is obligated to fight systemic racism, racial inequality, and police brutality. They want to live without fear. They advocated for police reforms, accountability, and the use of de-escalation tactics.
Protesters hope to end 400 years of oppression that started with slavery in America in 1619 and continued after the Civil War with attacks on black people, lynchings, the Ku Klux Klan, segregation, discrimination, and racism. That oppression has been felt in Oak Ridge, and some young adults and teenagers said they have experienced or witnessed racism.
Protesters said they were angry, upset, and frustrated. They called the death of George Floyd while he was detained by police in Minneapolis last month a murder. They recalled the deaths of other black men and boys, some killed by police and others by citizens. They acknowledged that there are many good police officers, but they condemned police officers who they said hide behind their badges to do wicked deeds.
“Enough is enough,” protesters said. “We are done dying.”
Protesters met at Oak Ridge High School Tuesday afternoon, June 2, and marched to the Oak Ridge Civic Center. They carried signs and wore T-shirts that said “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe.” They chanted “No justice, no peace” and, led by organizer Trevor King, “Make racism illegal.” Silence is compliance, the protesters said, and silence in the face of evil is itself evil.
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A peaceful protest and a conversation about race relations are scheduled for Tuesday in Oak Ridge.
The conversation about race relations in the United States and Oak Ridge is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday. It’s between Oak Ridge City Council member Derrick Hammond, who is a pastor; Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith; and local youth. You can watch it live on Facebook at the Oak Ridge Police Department page and on the Oak Valley Baptist Church website at oakvalleybc.com.
The peaceful protest is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School. Participants will make signs and shirts there. At 5 p.m., they plan to march to the International Friendship Bell at Alvin K. Bissell Park, organizer Trevor King said in a Facebook post.
The Oak Ridge Police Department will be there and will participate, although it’s not a city event. Smith will walk across the street with everyone, and he has been asked to speak, City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said Monday.
King said everyone is welcome to attend Tuesday’s event.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge Police Department and Police Chief Robin Smith are offering a $1,000 reward for information that helps investigators identify the baby boy found dead near the river bank along Melton Lake Greenway on Thursday, March 26.
The reward includes $500 from the ORPD, and Smith will match that with another $500.
Wyatt’s race has not been determined. Police officers have not been able to tell from his physical appearance. His umbilical cord was still attached before he was placed in the water, Smith said in a Facebook video Thursday. A piece of clothing was with Wyatt, although it’s not being described for investigative reasons.
The baby boy is being called Wyatt, or “little warrior,” Smith said.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a newborn boy found dead along the Melton Lake Greenway in March.
The newborn’s body was found Thursday, March 26, Investigators continue to ask for tips and information that could identify him.
The Oak Ridge Police Department has named the baby boy “Wyatt,” which means “little warrior,” according to a press release from the City of Oak Ridge.
On Thursday, April 2, ORPD officers and the Oak Ridge Fire Department gathered to set up a memorial in baby Wyatt’s name near the parking area on Melton Lake at Edgemoor Road, the press release said.
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Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith on Wednesday said the temperatures of employees are being checked each day as they arrive for work, and the Oak Ridge Police Department is still enforcing laws.
When possible, police reports are being taken by phone to avoid personal contact, Smith said. It’s part of the police department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oak Ridge Police Department is “on the job to deter crime and enhance the safety of our citizens,” Smith said in a social media post.
“During this time of social distancing, we are looking for ways to reduce personal contact with others while continuing to perform our jobs effectively,” Smith said. “Let me tell you what we are not doing. We are not decreasing our enforcement efforts.”
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The Oak Ridge Police Department has been accredited by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. ORPD was awarded this achievement during the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police meeting held in Franklin, Tennessee, on May 29, a press release said.
To achieve accreditation with TLEA, an agency voluntarily submits to a three-year process of enhancing the agency’s professionalism and effectiveness using 160 law enforcement standards and participating in a thorough on-site assessment, the press release said.
The standards evaluate an agency’s policies that address a variety of areas including organizational, operational, and budget management practices, the release said.
“The program is intended to encourage cooperation, recognize professional standing, develop professional services, and ensure public safety throughout the State of Tennessee,” the press release said. “The TLEA program is a valuable and cost-effective way to enhance overall agency effectiveness and professionalism.”
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The Oak Ridge Police Department has named Brad Jenkins as its newest captain, promoting him from the rank of lieutenant earlier this month.
Jenkins was publicly recognized by Oak Ridge City Council at the regular meeting on April 8. Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith presented Jenkins with his new badge, the same one worn by Smith when he held the rank of captain with ORPD, a press release said.
Jenkins joined the Oak Ridge Police Department in 1988 after three years with the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Police Department.
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Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)
The next Lunch with the League program will be held on Tuesday, February 19. The speaker will be Oak Ridge Police Department Chief Robin Smith. His topic will be titled “Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety.”
The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Smith has served with the Oak Ridge Police Department since 2012. He served as a lieutenant for two years before being promoted to captain and then deputy chief. He was appointed ORPD Chief in October 2018. [Read more…]
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…]
Oak Ridge dispatchers and emergency workers switched to a new radio system last week that uses encrypted communications, and access is restricted to public safety employees.
That means that people who have listened to Oak Ridge police and fire communications, among other radio transmissions, on scanners and scanner apps but aren’t public safety employees such as police officers or firefighters will no longer be able to listen. That includes reporters.
“For the safety of our officers, the Police Department does not have any plans at this time to allow access to the radio system beyond public safety employees,” City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Sarah Self said in a brief statement Tuesday, January 29.
The switch was apparently made at about 1 p.m. Monday, January 28. Oak Ridge Today has not heard Oak Ridge dispatchers on the radio since then.
Oak Ridge Today asked what steps the city will take to ensure that people continue to stay informed at least about major police and fire incidents since reporters and the public will no longer be able to listen to emergency communications. [Read more…]
