Oak Ridge Today

Former ORPD officer pleads not guilty to statutory rape, official misconduct

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Cassen Jackson-Garrison

Cassen Jackson-Garrison (Source: TBI)

Note: This story was updated at 6:10 p.m.

CLINTON—A former Oak Ridge Police Department officer charged with aggravated statutory rape and official misconduct pleaded not guilty in Anderson County Criminal Court on Friday morning.

Cassen Jackson-Garrison, 31, was indicted on the two charges by the Anderson County Grand Jury on May 3. He was arrested May 6 by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.                                                                    

At the request of Seventh District Attorney General Dave Clark, TBI special agents began investigating Cassen Jackson-Garrison, who was an ORPD officer at the time, on August 13, 2015, on a complaint that he was having sexual contact with a minor. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information that Jackson-Garrison had sexual contact with the teen in July 2015, the TBI said in a May 6 press release. [Read more…]

Children’s minister, local residents among those arrested, cited in human trafficking operation

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Jason Kennedy

Jason Kennedy

Note: This story was last updated at 2:30 p.m. May 23.

A three-day operation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and detectives with the Knoxville Police Department to combat human trafficking in Knoxville has resulted in the arrest of 32 men and women on prostitution and human trafficking-related charges. Two of the men, including a children’s minister, responded to ads for what they thought were girls under the age of 18.

TBI identified Knoxville’s Jason Kennedy, 46, as the children’s minister arrested for patronizing prostitution and human trafficking. Kennedy was a minister at Grace Baptist Church in Karns, but he has now been terminated.

The TBI said there is a warrant out on a trafficking charge for Zubin Parakh, 32, of Oak Ridge. A spokesperson at Lifehouse Church in Oak Ridge said Parakh serves as a volunteer and “creative pastor” there, according to WBIR, a Knoxville television station. The church told the television station that Parakh has never worked with children.

Grace Baptist released a statement to the media after the Friday news of Kennedy’s arrest.

“The children’s pastor of Grace Baptist Church has been terminated as as result of an arrest in a police sting related to prostitution and human trafficking,” the church said. “The actions of the children’s pastor for which he has been arrested were part of his life outside the church, and we have received no questions or concerns related to his conduct within the church or its ministries.

“The children’s pastor was hired two-and-a-half years ago. The church’s background check turned up no issues that indicate any previous problem. In fact, the children’s pastor in his application affirmed that he had no issues in his background of a criminal or other nature.

“We are praying for his family and will continue to provide the services of our ministry to them.”

Oak Ridge Today has not been able to reach LifeHouse Church for comment.

The TBI said the arrested men also include an engineer and a volunteer firefighter.

Kennedy has been charged and booked. Most of the others were charged on a citation, the TBI said. [Read more…]

Wanted by TBI, Rogersville fugitive captured in Hawkins County

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Gary Simpson

Gary Simpson

A Rogersville man who was added to the TBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list Thursday was captured later that afternoon in Hawkins County, authorities said.

Gary Simpson, 57, was wanted by the Rogersville Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for especially aggravated kidnapping.

On May 4, Simpson kidnapped 9-year-old Carlie Marie Trent from school, the TBI said. He had no custodial rights to Carlie.

Simpson was the suspect of the AMBER Alert issued this month for Carlie Trent. [Read more…]

Updated: TBI issues Amber Alert for 9-year-old in East Tennessee

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TBI Endangered Child Alert Rogersville

Image by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:52 a.m.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued an Amber Alert in East Tennessee and Middle Tennessee for 9-year-old Carlie Trent. The Amber Alert was issued on behalf of the Rogersville Police Department.

The TBI initially issued an Endangered Child Alert but has since upgraded the alert to help find the missing child.

Carlie was removed from school Wednesday by her uncle by marriage, Gary Simpson, under false pretenses, the TBI said. He has no custodial rights to Carlie, authorities said. Warrants have been issued for Simpson for kidnapping, the TBI said.

Authorities don’t know the current location of Simpson and Carlie Trent.

Carlie is 4’8″ and she weighs 75 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and gray tank top shirt with blue jeans. [Read more…]

Reward offered in Coalfield murder of Vietnam vet who retired from Boeing, B&W

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Jerry Pete McCarroll

Jerry “Pete” McCarroll. Photo via Facebook/BBB-TV

Family and friends are offering a $10,000 reward for specific information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the death of Jerry “Pete” McCarroll, a Vietnam veteran and cancer survivor who was retired from Boeing and B&W Clinch River in Oak Ridge, authorities said.

McCarroll was found murdered on April 18 outside of Allied Metal Recovery and Refining on Gouge Hollow Road in the Coalfield area of Morgan County, according to the Office of the District Attorney General in the Ninth Judicial District, which includes Loudon, Meigs, Morgan, and Roane counties.

McCarroll worked at Allied Metal Recovery and Refining, a press release said. His body was found at 6:30 a.m. Monday, April 18, and he had been beaten and shot, the press release said. McCarroll was known to carry cash, and the motive may have been robbery, authorities said. [Read more…]

TBI investigating death of Anderson County inmate

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Princess Wyomina Shifflett

Princess Wyomina Shifflett

 

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of an Anderson County inmate last week, officials said Monday.

The TBI was asked to investigate the death of Princess Wyomina Shifflett, 58, by Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark on Thursday, officials said.

Shifflett died at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, officials said.

Shifflett had some sort of medical emergency, and emergency medical services were called to take her to a medical center, where she died, TBI spokesperson Susan Niland said in an email. [Read more…]

TBI investigation of Oak Ridge apartment death still open, ongoing

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Thomas Stephen "T.S." Thrasher

Thomas Stephen “T.S.” Thrasher

The investigation of the death of an Oak Ridge man in an apartment in December 2014 remains open and ongoing, a state official said Monday.

Thomas Steven Thrasher Jr., 29, also known as “T.S.,” died December 8, 2014. He was found dead in a second-floor apartment when the Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a report of a possible intruder at about 4:40 a.m. that Monday at 615 West Vanderbilt Drive.

Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said that month that a criminal investigation was under way, but there had not been an arrest and no charges had been filed. Clark said at the time that an autopsy had been performed by the Anderson County medical examiner.

“As a result of the circumstances, the Oak Ridge Police and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have been conducting a criminal investigation,” Clark said. “There has been no arrest or charges filed at this time.” [Read more…]

Four Morgan Co. correction officers, one inmate indicted in TBI jail assault cases

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Denny Hughett

Denny Hughett

COOKEVILLE—In two separate cases, special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained indictments for a total of five people in connection to allegations of the mistreatment of inmates in the Morgan County Jail.

In the first case, which began November 24, 2015, at the request of Ninth District Attorney General Russell Johnson, TBI agents investigated an allegation of official misconduct by correction officers in the Morgan County Jail. The allegation, brought by an inmate’s family, accused officers of encouraging the assault of an inmate on November 21, 2015, in the presence of correction officers, who were also accused of not intervening in the incident.

On Monday, the Morgan County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging Correction Officer Denny Hughett, 31, of Wartburg, with two counts of official misconduct and one count of coercion of a witness. The Grand Jury also returned an indictment for an inmate, charging Samuel Jennings, 39, with one count of aggravated assault. [Read more…]

DA Johnson: TBI investigating Morgan County Jail

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State officials are investigating allegations of assaults on an inmate at the Morgan County Jail, a law enforcement official said Friday.

The two investigations by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were acknowledged on Friday by Ninth District Attorney General Russell Johnson.

The first investigation focuses on an allegation that an inmate was assaulted by another inmate on November 24, and two corrections officers may have encouraged the assault or at least stood by while it occurred, a press release said.

The second investigation involves an allegation that four corrections officers assaulted an inmate on December 15, hours after that same inmate made a seemingly unprovoked but violent assault against two corrections officers, the press release said. [Read more…]

TBI Top 10 fugitive captured; missing child recovered

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Tyler Ward Enix

Tyler Ward Enix

A Knoxville man who was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive list Thursday morning was captured in Ohio, just hours after being added to the list, authorities said.

Tyler Ward Enix, 36, who is the father of the subject of an Amber Alert issued Wednesday, was captured Thursday morning in a rural area of Morrow County, Ohio, the TBI said. A citizen had heard the Amber Alert on the radio and realized he was behind the vehicle referenced in the alert. The citizen called 911 and deputies with the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office responded and initiated a traffic stop, the TBI said. Enix was taken into custody without incident. His 2-year-old daughter Brooklynne was recovered and is safe. [Read more…]

TBI issues Amber Alert for missing child; mother found dead, father charged with murder

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Brooklynne Enix

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is asking for help finding a missing two-year-old girl whose mother was found dead earlier today (Wednesday, October 28) in her Knoxville home.

The child, Brooklynne Enix, is described as three feet tall and about 38 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. The TBI has issued a statewide Amber Alert.

The TBI said Brooklynne may be in the company of her biological father, 36-year-old Tyler Ward Enix, who is 6’2″, 205 pounds and is bald with blue eyes. A warrant was issued Wednesday night charging Enix with first-degree murder, the TBI said. [Read more…]

ORPD officer, a former Vandy standout, terminated as statutory rape allegation investigated

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ORPD Cassen Garrison

Witnesses said ORPD Officer Cassen Garrison used his hands to break out a back window of an Emory Valley Center van and rescue a client from the back of it after a May 12, 2015, crash at Northwestern and North Purdue avenues. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:25 a.m. Aug. 18.

A probationary Oak Ridge police officer who once played football for Vanderbilt University and the Kansas City Chiefs has been investigated, terminated, and will be prosecuted for allegations of statutory rape of a 16-year-old girl and other charges, authorities said Monday.

The victim’s stepfather, who was in custody at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, made an allegation that the officer, Cassen Jackson-Garrison, 30, had engaged in inappropriate contact with his stepdaughter, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release. The allegation was made to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy investigator at the jail.

Clark said Garrison was one of two officers who met the victim when he responded to the victim’s home in connection with a domestic violence complaint. The victim’s stepfather was arrested because of that complaint and remains jailed at the ACDF, Clark said. [Read more…]