A reported burglary in progress call turned into a manhunt two weeks ago that lasted about an hour.

According to the Livingston Police Department, officers Jonathan Storie and Rick Brown were dispatched two weeks ago Tuesday around 4 p.m. to a residence in Hidden Valley. When officers arrived they learned that the homeowner had just come home and realized that someone had broken into their home and believed that the suspect was still inside. The suspect was actually on site and fled on foot just before officers arrived.

Storie learned that the suspect had allegedly stolen a handgun with other items. Shortly after that, the suspect fled across Celina Highway into a wooded area between Fairview Lane and Allred Street. Officer Brown attempted to stop the suspect when he entered the wooded area but the suspect continued to flee.

“Due to the danger associated with the firearm, additional LPD officers and deputies with the Overton County Sheriff’s Department began to set up a perimeter of the area,” said Livingston Police Chief Greg Etheredge.

Because of the close proximity to the high school, Livingston police ordered a lock down of the school, as numerous athletic activities were going on at the time. Additional police were also dispatched to the school as a precaution.

Law enforcement from throughout the area descended to assist, and the suspect was apprehended about an hour after police had been initially dispatched. The Overton County Sheriff’s Department, Monterey Police Department and Livingston Police Department apprehended the suspect crossing Allred Street headed towards Livingston Academy. He was identified as Kevin Dyer of Livingston.

Dyer was charged with a number of criminal offenses, including aggravated burglary and theft over $10,000. His initial bond was set at $50,000.

***********************

A former Livingston Police officer is now on the other side of the law.

Brandon Walker, who was a policeman with the Livingston Police Department in 2010, was indicted by an Overton County Grand Jury on July 18, 2011 for unauthorized exercise of official power. Walker is being investigated for sending explicit text messages and a sexual photograph between August 28 and September 3, 2010 to Melissa Cummings, following her arrest by Walker on DUI charges. An indictment means that the grand jury has found there is enough evidence in a case for the district attorney’s office to proceed with prosecution.

According to Shawn Frye, Cummings Attorney, Walker had approached Cummings, of whom he was previously familiar with, when she was parked in front of a store after having returned from the lake. He questioned her as to whether she had been drinking. When two other officers arrived, Walker proceeded to arrest Cummings on DUI charges, while allegedly assuring her he could help her out with the charges, taking her cell phone and programming his personal contact information into it.

DUI charges demand that the detainee be held no less than four hours, by which time Walker immediately began texting Cummings, asking if she was out of jail yet and when they could get together to discuss him helping her with the charges, according to Frye.

Cummings called her attorney, explaining the officer’s request to assist her with her charges and meet with him. Frye advised Cummings not to meet with Walker and to keep all records of his texts. At one point, Frye explained, Walker sent texts asking Cummings to send pictures of herself taking a shower, which Cummings did not. Within moments of his request, Walker allegedly sent a sexually explicit photograph of himself to Cummings.

The next night, Frye stated, Cummings was at her residence when she noticed someone in the dark looking into her car. She called for police assistance and when they arrived, it was found to be Walker outside her home. Cummings contacted Attorney Frye once again and arranged an appointment to discuss her DUI charges as well as Walker’s troubling conduct.

“When she brought the text messages, I was just floored at how inappropriate the conduct was by the officer,” Frye said. “He directly was soliciting sex for favorable treatment on a defendant’s case when it came time to go to court.”

Cummings and Attorney Frye went to District Attorney Randy York and shared the texts and photograph from Walker, which York agreed was inappropriate. A meeting was held with Livingston Police Chief Greg Etheredge, at which time the same material was presented. Frye stated that Etheredge gave Cummings the choice of filing an official complaint against Walker or the department terminating Walker’s employment. Cummings agreed to Walker being removed from the force. Cummings’ charges were also dismissed.

According to Frye, unbeknownst to Cummings, within 72 hours of Walker’s release, Walker was recommended to a deputy position within the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department. Walker was hired shortly after. Frye stated that Cummings was appalled at the way she felt after she was led to believe that Walker would not be able to return to his career in law enforcement, but within days was recommended for a new position in another county.

“It burned me up. That burned me up,” Cummings told NewsChannel 5 in an interview.

What was more troubling, Frye said, is that shortly after Walker took his position with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department, he arrested another woman, LeAnne Pettit, on DUI charges and allegedly began sending messages to Pettit on Facebook. His communications with Pettit focused on topics of a sexual nature, as well as drinking. Pettit recognized Walker from the media coverage with the Cummings case and contacted her own attorney.

Walker was dismissed by Van Buren County Sheriff Grayson Beasley.

Walker has now lost two jobs within law enforcement to similar incidents within a short period of time and is now facing criminal charges.

The indictment handed down by the Overton Grand Jury states there is sufficient evidence that Walker used unauthorized exercise of official power according to T.C.A. 39-16-402, which provides, in part, as follows:

Official misconduct. “Commits an act relating to the servant’s office or employment that constitutes an unauthorized exercise of official power.”

Walker will appear in Criminal Court to face the charges.