Police

Verbal threats
Andrea Rathbone, 27, of 1242 Evans Valley Road, in Newport, told Patrolman Matthew Elliott that on Friday, May 8, an individual followed her to the on her way to the emergency room at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County and cursed her and issued threats against her and her family in the hospital's parking lot. She said later, the individual threw rocks at her car when she picked up her cousin on Eply Road around 3 p.m. Rathbone said she doesn't know why the individual was making threats.

Assault alleged
Angel Ness, 38, of Larmie Circle, in Newport, reported an assault on her that occurred on Friday, May 8, around 10:20 p.m. Ness said that when she drove on Blazer Street someone at 144 Blazer St. called her names so she backed up her vehicle to see what the problem was with the individual, according to a report by Patrolman Matthew Elliott. An individual came off the porch and onto the road and punched Ness in the left side of her face and threw beer on both the interior and exterior of her vehicle. The alleged offender said no one called Ness names. A group of people were on the front porch listening to music and dancing when Ness threw a beer bottle at them, according to the alleged offender.

Driving on a revoked license 2nd charge
Todd R. Olden, 23, of 785 Musterfield Road, in Newport, reportedly failed to stop at a traffic light at the Walgreens parking lot and East Broadway last week. Patrolman Matthew Elliott said a check through central dispatch found that Olden had a revoked license on March 14, 2005 for a DUI. He was arrested and charged with driving on a revoked license 2nd offense.

Accident in Walgreens parking lot
Mary E. Erdeljae, 40, of 440 Justus St., in Newport, was driving a 2003 Saturn L20 on Friday, May 8, in the Walgreens parking lot when she backed out of a parking space and struck a 2000 Ford driven by Margaret P. Tolley, 64, of 151 Horner Way, in Bybee, according to a report by Patrolman Donna Hopkins. Tolley was headed south in the parking lot.

Hit-and-run at Food City East
Sharon Ball, 49, of 1490 Arlis Road, said she parked her 2002 Mercury Mountain SUV on Friday, May 8, in the parking lot of Food City East at 416 Eastern Plaza, in Newport. She told Patrolman Donald Coakley that she shopped in the store for 10 minutes and returned to her vehicle at 3 p.m. She discovered someone hit the driver side door, putting several white scratches on it.

Two-vehicle accident near McDonald's
Emmanuel Zephyr, 60, of 1509 James Branch, in Newport, was driving a 1992 Honda Accord on Friday, May 8, about 2 p.m. He left the McDonald's parking lot to pull onto Highway 321, thought an oncoming vehicle intended to stop and so pulled out, striking the other vehicle on the passenger side. Joseph A. Wallin, 44, of 269 Ramblin Road, in Newport, said he was driving a 2000 Toyota Tundra pickup truck headed south on Highway 321 when Zephyr in the Honda Accord pulled out from the McDonald's parking lot and struck the Toyota in the passenger side.

Sheriff's


Theft of property over $1,000 alleged
Rhoda E. Ottinger, 38, of 1218 Garner Road, in Newport, was arrested Thursday, May 7, and arrested on a Capias from Cocke County Circuit Court for theft of property over $1,000, according to arresting officer Cocke County Deputy Sheriff David Crowder.

Asleep on the side of Interstate 40
Joey K. Stepp, 45, of P.O. Box 162, in Newport, was arrested "for his safety" and charged with public intoxication on Tuesday, May 5, at 1:20 a.m. Sgt. Armando Fontes of the Cocke County Sheriff's Department and Deputy Sheriff Robert Thornton responded to a call of a man lying on the side of an I-40 westbound lane. Officers allegedly found Stepp passed out and lying on the shoulder of I-40. He was woken up, performed "very poorly" on sobriety tasks, "smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and trouble standing and balancing himself, according to a report.

Cosby man allegedly tries to run from officers
Jason Brian York, 23, of 1550 Cosby Highway, in Cosby, was arrested Tuesday, May 5, after three deputy sheriffs went to an address on Paintbrush Way to serve a warrant, according to a report by Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Derrick Webb. York attempted to hide from officers and would not obey verbal commands to stop. He ran off, jumped several fences, and went through a wooded area before being apprehended by deputies on Old Sevierville Highway. It was discovered that Deputy Sheriff William Garber had taken out warrants on March 12 for evading arrest, traffic control device, seatbelt law, and failure to stop, frisk, and halt. York also had a Capias from Circuit Court dated June 25, 2008.

Driving on revoked license 2nd offense alleged
Gerald Patrick Burke, 43, of 149 Valley Walk Road, in Cosby, was arrested and charged with driving on a revoked license 2nd offense following an investigation about a counterfeit bill being passed at the Dollar General on Highway 321. A Cocke County Deputy Sheriff said Burke matched the description of the person who allegedly passed the counterfeit money. His license was revoked for a DUI on Jan. 17, 2005, in Cocke County.

Charge of aggravated statutory rape
Jonathan Dwayne Burgess, 27, of 579 Woodlawn Ave., in Newport, was arrested Thursday, May 7, and charged with aggravated statutory rape, according to a report by Cocke County Deputy Sheriff C. J. Ball. Burgess was arrested at his residence for an indictment warrant taken out by Circuit Court for the rape charge. He was arrested without incident and taken to the Cocke County Detention Center with a $5,000 bond.

Man arrested on a Capias
Dewayne Gay James, 36, of 121 Graystone Way, in Newport, was arrested Thursday, May 7, on a Capias from Cocke County Circuit Court for theft over $1,000.

Hit-and-run (leaving the scene) alleged
Lillian Simmons, of Raines Road, in Newport, told Sgt. Eric Rinehart of the Cocke County Sheriff's Department that on Wednesday, May 6, around 2:15 p.m. a four-door sedan alleged to have been driven by an individual she named was allegedly traveling east on Raines Road and as it approached her home, it apparently left the road and crashed into a wooden fence and a tree on her property before coming to a rest. Simmons said someone towed the vehicle away from law enforcement arrived. She said she got the vehicle's license plant number. The fence was valued at $500.

Domestic disturbance reported
Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Brian Holt responded to a call of a domestic disturbance on Thursday, May 7, at the South Highway 340, in Parrottsville, home of Magdalene Sano, 63. Sano and a relative reportedly got in a verbal argument. When the relative walked out of the house, Sano grabbed the shirt collar of the individual. The relative reportedly swung her arm back towards Sano in an attempt to get loose. In doing so, the relative broke Sano's glasses and scratched her in the forehead.

Grand Jury presentment
Courtney Lee Freeman, 20, of 4495 Spar Road, in Hartford, and Bradley Scott Parks, 19, of 165 West Drive, in Parrottsville, were each arrested on Thursday, May 7, on a Grand Jury presentment and charged with theft over $10,000 and setting fire to personal property in relation to the theft of a 2006 Mercury Van belonging to Lisa Reed of Windswept Way on March 6. The van was later recovered burned in Hartford, according to a report by Cocke County Det. John Carrell.

Theft over $1,000 alleged
Terry Eugene Pack, 32, of 1166 Pack Way, in Newport, was arrested on a Grand Jury presentment on Friday, May 8, and charged with theft over $1,000 in relation to the theft of a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer belonging to Elizabeth Ann Smelcer on May 31, 2008, from her home on Sunlight Road, in Parrottsville, according to a report by Cocke County Det. John Carrell.

Failure to appear and Capias charges
Delbert Franklin Harrison, of 264 Larmie Circle, in Newport, and another address in Sevierville, was picked up Thursday, May 7, from Sevier County Jail and charged with failure to appear and Capias in Cocke County, according to a report by Deputy Sheriff David Parton.

Burglary of outbuilding alleged
John Jepson, 59, of 2640 Old Cosby Cutoff, told Sgt. Armando Fontes of the Cocke County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday, April 29, that while he was gone from his home that day, someone entered his shed and stole his riding lawnmower. Citizens with information as to the suspects should contact Fontes through the sheriff's department at 623-6004.

Living room and bedroom allegedly ransacked
Melonie Williamson, 35, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Randall Hartsell that on Tuesday, May 5, she returned home and found a window to her residence was open and the back door was open. Her living room and bedroom were ransacked. She didn't notice any items missing.

Vandalism alleged
Brian Yockey, 43, of Alla Circle, in Newport, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Jason Oury that on Monday, May 4, someone apparently attempted to break in to his home by trying to pry the screen off a window to his home. Yockey said he was home during the hours he believed the incident occurred but did not notice anything unusual at the time.

Vandalism alleged, but nothing stolen
David Graybeal, of Sarasota, Fla., told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Jason Oury that sometime between Saturday, April 9, and Friday, April 29, someone broke into his residence on Norwood Town Road. The back door and frame were broken, and the home rummaged through, but Graybeal said nothing appeared to be missing.

Riding lawnmower reported stolen
Kenneth O. Brown, 51, of Fuller Street, in Newport, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Tony Bailey on Friday, May 8, that someone stole his Craftsman riding lawnmower from under the back deck of his home between May 1 and May 7. The 21-horsepower mower was valued at $1,600.

Theft of cell phone and wallet alleged
Richard McCrary, 41, of Campers Paradise Road, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Jason Oury that on Tuesday, May 5, between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., someone opened his unlocked 1997 Nissan Sentra and took a cell phone and wallet belonging to his mother, Beatrice McCrary, of Knoxville. The phone was a government-issued "Safe Link" cell phone. The wallet contained $20, a driver's license, and a spare key to the Sentra.


Police

Counterfeit $100 bill passed
An employee at West End Exxon on West Broadway told Patrolman William Garber that on Thursday, May 7, about 4:20 p.m., a man passed a counterfeit $100 bill in the store. The employee said an individual she recognzied purchased items with a $100 bill and was given $94 in change. She was reportedly busy with several customers at the time and did not see the bill was fake until after the individual left the store. The counterfeit bill was placed in evidence.

Drill not stolen after all
Michael Pawlin, of 252 Woodlawn Ave., in Newport, on Friday, May 8, left a message for Donna Hopkins stating that he had located his drill that he had reported stolen on April 29 or April 30. Pawlin said he had left the drill at work and was not missing.

Vandalism reported
Brandy Livingston, 27, of Myers Circle in Newport, reported vandalism to her car. She told Patrolman William Garber that on Wednesday, May 6, at around 11 p.m. when she went to bed, there was nothing wrong with her car. But at 6 a.m. on the next day, she allegedly found both tires on the driver's side of her vehicle had been slashed. She called a suspect and asked if he had cut her ties. He reportedly just laughed and hung up on her. Value of tires was estimated at $160.

Multiple burglaries alleged
John Hurst, 51, of Myers Circle, told Patrolman Donna Hopkins on Friday, May 8, that he began noticing items taken out of his shed over the last few months. Each time the shed door had been locked, Hurst said. On Monday, May 4, he noticed a 70-amp wire feed welder worth $100 was gone from the shed.

Aggravated domestic assault charged after gun is shot
Joe Evans Jr., 40, of 1221 Evans Valley Road, in Newport, was arrested Saturday, May 9, and received six charges after he allegedly shot a gun in the presence of three individuals. Evans allegedly fired the handgun while one of the victims held a 10-month-old baby. Evans had a strong odor of alcoholic beverages about his person, bloodshot eyes, was unsteady on his feet, and had slurred speech. Evans was arrested for three counts of aggravated domestic assault, possession of a handgun under the influence, possession of a prohibited weapon, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. Evans was reportedly a convicted felon in Cocke County for an aggravated assault conviction on June 2, 2005.