Car chase leads to drug bust; more arrests listed

Staff Reports

Just after midnight on April 2, Deputy Jacob Turpin of the Loudon County Sheriff ’s Office was made aware of a high pursuit chase of a vehicle heading into Loudon County from Knox County — with the car reportedly driving at speeds upward of 130 mph.

Knox County officers gave up on their pursuit as the car crossed county lines, with Lenoir City Police Department getting a tip that the vehicle had got off at Exit 81 before returning to I-75 South just moments later.

Just after the tip came in, Deputy Turpin observed the vehicle whizz past at the 78-Mile Marker. He then followed it to Exit 72, where other officers were already waiting for them.

A traffic stop was then able to be performed at the off-ramp of I-75 South at Exit 72, according to crime reports.

The vehicle reportedly had two people in it — driver Jasmine Lansden and passenger Jermichael Campbell. Both adhered to officers’ orders, and were detained without any issues.

When the vehicle was searched for marijuana, prompted by the pungent odor emitting from within the vehicle, officers found 28 sealed bags of what they believed to be marijuana and five larger clear bags of another green, leafy substance.

Officers also found four different cell phones, which were assumed to be in relation to the large amounts of paraphernalia that officers presumed were for distribution purposes.

Due to the volume of the drugs on hand, officers were unable to weigh the full amount of drugs while on the scene.

Campbell was later found to have multiple warrants out for his arrest in Hamilton County.

After the two suspects were read their Miranda rights, they refused to talk with officers on the scene. … Due to neither suspect claiming possession of the profuse amounts of paraphernalia in the vehicle, they were brought into custody at Loudon County Jail with the vehicle being towed by a local wrecker service.

MARCH 31

Bruce Debri Beasley, 39, Lenoir City, was charged with assisting other agencies and released without bond.

Tabita Rose Degarmo, 42, homeless, was charged with manufacturing, delivering, sale or possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, simple possession/casual exchange, tampering/fabricating with evidence and held on $8000 bond.

Douglas Erique Leon Zambrano, 40, Knoxville, was charged with license required and held on $2000 bond.

Steven Wayne Likous, 52, Kingsport, was charged with capias-criminal court, violation of probation and held on $15,000 bond.

Nestor Jordany Mejia-Arcia, 22, Dalton, GA, was charged with driving under the influence, expiration of certificates and plates, failing to surrender auto license or registration, financial responsibility law, license required, speed limit and held on $8000 bond.

Jeremiah Logun Noah, 21, Loudon, was charged with driving on revoked/ suspended license, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession/casual exchange, four counts of theft of property, five counts of unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon and held on $71,000 bond.

Brent Allen Snyder, 42, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, public intoxication and held on $2000 bond.

Ethan Alexander Sorrell, 22, Philadelphia, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession/casual exchange and released on $6000 bond.

Patrick Ryan Vought, 27, Lenoir City, was charged with driving under the influence, lights required on a motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession/casual exchange, violation of implied consent and held on $6000 bond.

APRIL 1

Marketus Derron Hubbard, 42, Lenoir City, was charged with driving on a revoked/suspended license and released on $1500 bond.

Agustin Jimenez, 55, Philadelphia, was charged with capias-general sessions and held on $4000 bond.

Richard Shane Shepard, 41, Philadelphia, was charged with weekender- convicted serving time and held without bond.

Ronnie Luther Smithers Jr., 50, Loudon, was charged with driving under the influence and released on $1500 bond.

APRIL 2

Jermichael Lemanuel Campbell Jr., 24, Knoxville was charged with manufacture, sell, delivery, resale of a schedule VI drug and released on $10,000 bond.

Kenneth Justin Collins, 41, Lenoir City, was charged with driving on a revoked license, manufacture, sell delivery, resale of a schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and held on $13,000 bond.

Scott Ellis Dickey Jr, 44, Rockwood, was charged with capias-general session, failure to appear in municipal court and held on $6000 bond.

Multiple charges pending as at least one arrest has been made

Adam Delahoussaye news-herald.net

What started as a routine traffic stop for Sweetwater police on Monday morning quickly escalated into a full-blown police chase through Loudon County — ending in at least one arrest with more charges pending.

According to a story first published by the WVLT TV station in Knoxville, officers in Sweetwater pulled over a car for a registration issue on the 400 block of Sweetwater-Vonore road, where a man later identified as Nathan Hatfield and a woman whose identity was originally unknown gave officers fake names before driving away from the scene.

This began the police pursuit, where representatives from Knox, Loudon and Monroe counties all assisted in tracking down the vehicle.

Throughout the chase, the suspects disposed of over an ounce of what was later identified as methamphetamine by throwing it out of the car, which officers were able to recover.

Sweetwater Police Department has now filed multiple charges against Hatfield. These include reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine for resale, tampering with evidence, criminal impersonation, driving on a revoked license and evading arrest.

Kimberly Glenn confirmed that no injuries were sustained by either party during the chase or following arrest.