Authorities from Overton County Sheriff’s Department and Livingston Police Department arrested an alleged drug dealer and gang leader after a chase across town that ended on Tower Hill Road Saturday, May 25.

According to a pair of press releases from OSCD and LPD, deputies of the sheriff’s department had been conducting surveillance on a residence on Cash Street in Livingston, where an individual named Octavious Jackson, formerly of Lebanon, was believed to be residing and selling cocaine.

“During surveillance of the residence (Saturday), officers realized that Jackson was at the residence and it appeared that he would be leaving shortly,” said the release from LPD. “At that point, officers with the Livingston Police Department in coordination with the sheriff’s department set up a perimeter around the residence to stop Jackson when he left the home.”

Jackson did leave the home that evening, authorities say, traveling toward North Oak Street, where OCSD Deputy Derek Sidwell, LPD Chief Greg Etheredge, and LPD School Resource Officer Logan Carpenter attempted to stop the vehicle, described by authorities as a white van, in the roadway.

“The suspect vehicle quickly backed up and turned around in the roadway and headed towards Hidden Valley,” said the LPD release. According to the OSCD press release, the vehicle fled from officers at a high rate of speed. Both releases said the driver of the vehicle “attempted to hit” a police vehicle traveling toward it that was occupied by Detective Brian Franklin and Sgt. Robert Garrett of the sheriff’s department.

According to authorities, the vehicle then turned onto Tower Hill Road, where it slowed down and Jackson allegedly jumped out of a passenger seat and ran into the woods. The van then continued traveling up Tower Hill Road, where it was later stopped by Franklin, Carpenter, and LPD Cpl. Ray Smith.

Meanwhile, Garrett, Sidwell, and Etheredge located Jackson in the woods, where he allegedly resisted arrest. According to reports from both OCSD and LPD, it took all three officers to subdue him. The LPD report alleged Jackson “was high” and said officers found “a large quantity of cocaine, prescription pills, and cash.”

Sheriff W.B. Melton said the amount of cocaine was “more than I’d ever seen.” For his part, Etheredge described it as “more than an ounce of cocaine.”

According to both Melton and Etheredge, Jackson was affiliated with a gang known as the Vice Lords.

“Over the past few months, we have encountered individuals who we believe are participating in gangs,” Etheredge said. “We know that there are gangs in Putnam, White, and Cumberland counties. And I believe that the sheriff and I take the same position that we will take this as a priority to combat them from gaining roots in Overton County.”

Etheredge said he did not believe the recent cocaine raid on University Street was related to the Vice Lords gang, but he said he was of the opinion that the “head duck” in that operation was affiliated with a different gang.

“What I’m concerned about is that they’re coming into neighborhoods, and they’re not standing out,” Etheredge said. “What we’re hearing from other jurisdictions is that they came in, they went into neighborhoods, they didn’t raise any red flags, and then the next thing you know, here they are.

“I would say this to people that are buying drugs,” Etheredge continued. “Don’t buy them from gangs, because that’s the reason they’re coming here. They’re coming here for money, and they think that it’s a new market for them.”

LPD officials said Jackson had more than 100 prescription narcotic pills in his possession, including Percocet and Xanax. Authorities did not say how much money was in Jackson’s possession.

The driver of the minivan was identified as Scott Barlow, of Celina. Also in the vehicle was Barlow’s four-year-old son. Barlow was arrested on charges including reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon–the “deadly weapon” in this case being the vehicle, according to police.

Jackson was arrested on numerous charges, including resisting arrest, evading arrest, and narcotics violations in addition to outstanding warrants from other areas, including Cookeville, according to police. He was being held in Overton County Jail on $10,000 bond.

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