Overton County News

Posted February 6, 2013 at 3:18 pm

Allegedly trying to shake a police car that had been following them, two individuals suspected of making methamphetamine made a right turn on what they thought was a Livingston back street. Too bad it was actually the police chief’s driveway.

According to Livingston Police Department officials, Officer Chris Gore observed a vehicle at a gas station on East Main Street Thursday, January 24 that reportedly belonged to an individual suspected of promoting the manufacuture of meth.

“Officer Gore noted that the vehicle was taking side streets, and as he followed the vehicle, observed the vehicle turn its right turn signal on and pull into a driveway,” said a statement from LPD.

“Officer Gore stated that he knew the vehicle did not belong in that particular driveway and pulled in behind it and asked them what they were doing at this house,” which happened to be the home of LPD Chief Greg Etheredge, the statement said.

When Gore approached the car and asked the occupants what they were doing at the residence, “They did not have an answer,” the report said.

Officer Gore then informed them they had pulled into Etheredge’s driveway, to which the driver reportedly stated, “Oops.”

Etheredge, who was not home at the time, and Officer Tommy Johnson came to the scene a short time later to assist in the investigation. Driver Jack Newberry, 35, of Monroe, did not have a valid driver’s license, the statement said. During a pat down, officers reportedly found a bag of methamphetamine and some lithium batteries. Gore asked Newberry if there was anything else to be found in the car, and Newberry reportedly told him there was a meth lab in the vehicle.

Etheredge and Johnson then removed the sole passenger, Rebecca Doucette, 38, of Livingston, from the car and discovered a meth lab in the front passenger floor board, the statement alleged. LPD said Doucette had additional methamphetamine and an unspecified quality of hypodermic needles on her person.

Newberry and Doucette were taken into custody by Gore and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine with intent to sell or deliver, and possession of drug paraphernalia, all within 1,000 feet of a drug-free school zone.

Assisting in the clean-up and processing of the meth lab, described by LPD officials as a “shake-and-bake” method lab, were Detective Jacob Braswell, Sgt. Jonathan Swift, and Livingston Firefighter Jamie Ledford.

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A corrections officer at Overton County Jail was assaulted by an inmate and had to be taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment of injuries, according to Overton County Sheriff’s Department sources.

Dustin Gingerich, a corrections officer at the jail, allegedly became involved in a dispute with inmate Harley Buel Upchurch, 30, of Monroe, after Upchurch had requested a second helping of milk for breakfast on Monday, January 28 only to have that request denied.

Upchurch allegedly became belligerent at the denial and began assaulting Gingerich, who suffered injuries to his face and head as a result and was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to his inmate sheet, Upchurch had been jailed on a vandalism charge Thursday, January 24 and was being held on a $1,000 bond. The intake sheet listed 15 total bookings at Overton County Jail in Upchurch’s history.

Jail Administrator Shannon Harvey said OCSD would likely send the Upchurch case to the Overton County Grand Jury, though the department’s investigation into the incident was ongoing at press time.

Gingerich was involved in an incident July 30, 2012 with an individual who was booked into the jail.

According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Public Information Officer Kristin Helm, “The District Attorney requested TBI to open a case in August of 2012 into allegations made by an inmate who was arrested for public intoxication that he and Gingerich had an altercation and Gingerich caused him to need stitches. That case is currently still open and being investigated at this time. It has not been closed.”