Midnight Pursuit Results in Arrests of Two Men After Crash Near Public Square

October 31, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Two men were taken into custody shortly after midnight this morning (Wednesday) after trying to outrun the Tennessee Highway Patrol reportedly in a stolen car before crashing near the public square downtown Smithville. After the wreck, the two bailed out of the car and attempted to flee on foot.

One of them unwittingly ran in the direction of the jail, which is located on the public square, and was caught by Sheriff Patrick Ray and Detective Stephen Barrett who were standing outside the Sheriff’s Office and saw him approaching.  The arrest was made in front of the law office of Hilton Conger and Harry Lasser, only a few feet from the jail. When the man saw the lettering on the DeKalb County Jail Annex building and realized where he had run to he said to the officers “I will be damn. I ran to the f…ing jail. What a dumba.. (referring to himself)”

The other man, who was armed with a loaded handgun, was arrested in the area by Smithville Police Officer Tyler Patterson.

Both men were turned over to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Charges are pending. Their names were not available last night.

The pursuit began in Wilson County and continued on Highway 70 into DeKalb County at 11:58 p.m. Tuesday night. A county deputy joined the THP in the pursuit at Liberty and Smithville Police Officers set up a road block at the intersection of Congress Boulevard and Broad Street to keep other traffic from crossing while the pursuit was approaching.

In Smithville the pursuit turned from Broad Street onto College Street at the bridge then east on Webb Street to South First Street before the car crashed on the property of Dr. Starla Meigs Office only a block off the public square.

October 31, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

A total of 2,579 have voted early for the Tennessee General Election with two more days remaining . Early voting has already eclipsed the total number of early voters (1,660) during the mid terms of November 2014 in DeKalb County and early voting totals (2,361) during the August, 2018 election. Two years ago in the November 2016 Presidential Election 3,992 voted early in DeKalb County.

The election is next Tuesday, November 6.

Voters will elect a Governor, U.S. Senator, Congressman in the 6^th District, State Senator in District 17, and State Representatives in Districts 40 & 46.

Candidates for Governor are Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean. Twenty six independents are also in the race for Governor.

U.S. Senate candidates are Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Phil Bredesen. Six independents are also running for the U.S. Senate.

Republican John Rose and Democrat Dawn Barlow are in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 6^th Congressional District along with two independents.

Candidates for the State Senate in District 17 are Republican Mark Pody and Democrat Mary Alice Carfi. There are no independents

Republican Terri Lynn Weaver is unopposed for State Representative in District 40

In District 46, Republican Clark Boyd and Democrat Mark Cagle are in the race for State Representative. There are no independents.

According to Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley, 146 voted Tuesday (144 in person and 2 by absentee); 186 Monday (178 in person and 8 by absentee); 192  Saturday (188 in person and 4 by absentee) 165  Friday (162 in person and 3 by absentee); 286 Thursday (281 in person and 5 by absentee); 182 Wednesday (148 in person and 34 by absentee); 210 Tuesday (203 in person and 7 by absentee); 246 Monday (245 in person and 1 by absentee); 214 Saturday (207 in person and 7 by absentee); 263 last Friday (260 in person and 3 by absentee); 259 last Thursday (257 in person and 2 by absentee). Last Wednesday 230 voted (194 in person and 36 by absentee)

The early voting times are as follows through Thursday, November 1:

Wednesday—9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday—2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Early voting is on the first floor of the DeKalb County Courthouse.

Election day voting on Tuesday, November 6 is 8:00 a.m. until 7 p.m. at all 15 precincts in the county.

October 30, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Alleging both personal and property damage, a local man has filed a $100,000 federal court lawsuit against two Smithville Police officers over an incident that occurred at his home in February.

Stephen Ashburn is suing Smithville Officers Harley D. Lawrence and Matt Farmer, individually, claiming they violated his 4^th Amendment rights against unreasonable seizure. Farmer is no longer employed by the police department. Neither the City of Smithville or the Police Department are named as defendants in the litigation.

The incident in question began on February 2 as Ashburn was cooking dinner at his home in Smithville.

According to the lawsuit, “Ashburn went outside to his vehicle, which was parked in his driveway, to retrieve a bag of groceries when he noticed a car parked and running on the street in front of his house. The parked vehicle was partially blocking his driveway. Ashburn’s home is directly across a narrow back street from the backside of a motel.”

The suit claims “Ashburn was aware that many incidents of drug related crime and burglaries had recently occurred in the neighborhood [and as he] approached the vehicle he shined a flashlight in the windshield and noticed there was no one in the driver’s seat. A female was in the passenger seat. Ashburn tapped on the passenger side window and asked why the car was parked there. After the passenger mumbled something incoherent, Ashburn suggested it was not a good idea to park on the street blocking his driveway and that the vehicle should be moved. Ashburn immediately turned around and went back into his house to finish cooking dinner” and looked outside, and saw that the vehicle was moved.

Within the next thirty minutes, the lawsuit alleges, Ashburn was startled by a loud, forceful banging on his back door.

Concerned that either a burglar was attempting to enter or the driver of the vehicle on the street was at the door, Ashburn went to the door holding a handgun for protection.

It is alleged that upon opening the door while still in the doorway and behind a storm door with clear glass, two individuals shined a flash light directly in Ashburn’s eyes and verbally identified themselves as police officers. They were dressed in dark, thick jackets and dark knit hats.

The lawsuit claims “The Defendants did not identify themselves as law enforcement at any time prior to Ashburn opening his door, and, upon being able to see that the Defendants were law enforcement officers, Ashburn lowered his handgun.”

According to the suit, “The Defendants then demanded Ashburn set his handgun down and he complied by placing it on a table inside the house. The Defendants did not request that Ashburn place his handgun in any particular location.

“Ashburn then kept his hands down and in front of his waist so that the Defendants could see them.

“The Defendants then demanded that Ashburn unlock the storm door.

Ashburn claims Officer Farmer opened the door without permission and that he asked the officers if they had a warrant to enter his home. The suit claims Officer Farmer answered “I’m investigating something, so we can either come in or you can come out.”

It is alleged the Officers again demanded that Ashburn come outside to discuss the matter they were investigating and when Ashburn again denied the request, Officer Farmer stated, “I’m not going to ask you again.”

The suit claims the officers then reached through the entryway of Ashburn’s home, grabbed him, and threw him down the stairs where he landed face down in his front yard.

Ashburn claims both officers jumped on top of his back and placed him in handcuffs.

The suit states “Ashburn was in shock and audibly grimaced with pain,” and was kept under arrest and in handcuffs for approximately twenty minutes.”

The Defendants, according to the suit, never communicated a reason that Ashburn was seized and placed in handcuffs and he was never charged with any crime.

The lawsuit states that “The Defendants were aware that residents of the neighborhood were on scared and high alert due to a lot of drug traffic in the area when they failed to identify themselves as law enforcement while banging on Ashburn’s door.”

Ashburn also claims he complied with all commands of the Defendant law enforcement officers other than their request for him to exit his home.

It is alleged that as a result of the officers grabbing Ashburn out of his home, throwing him down the stairs and jumping on top of him, that he suffered physical injury and property damage including but not limited to blunt trauma to the chest, broken ribs, and a broken prosthetic leg.