Charges are pending against a man who Knoxville Police arrested shortly after three women were found shot to death in an apartment.

The Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/KPYd7j ) reported Knox County Sheriff's deputies were called to a home in the Powell area of the county Monday afternoon and found the shooting victims.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Martha Dooley said the suspect was arrested shortly afterward within Knoxville city limits.

Police did not immediately release the names of the victims or the suspect.

Charles Gambill, who lives on the street where the man was taken into custody, said he saw a man who appeared to be in his 30s or 40s sit on a church sidewalk and wait for police, who arrested him.

Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com

**Courtesy of WKRN

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Police Chief David Rausch named Janet Gorman and Dr. David Kitts Co-Civilian Employees of the Month for February. Ms. Gorman, the Police Planning and Operations Manager, has been with KPD since May 1990. Mr. Kitts, Domestic Violence Program Manager, has been a member of the department since January 2002.

Chief Rausch said that on February 15, 2012, Investigator Debra Nuchols began an investigation into a child custody complaint. The mother, who is from Iran, indicated she had not seen her child since the father took him in early November. She repeatedly attempted to contact her child's father and his family who were supposedly in the Lexington, KY area. Each time the family would make excuses as to why she couldn't have contact with her 7 year-old child. She was eventually told by the family that the father had obtained custody of the child through the courts. Upon checking with the courts, this claim was determined to be false.

Chief Rausch said, "Investigator Nuchols began an exhaustive investigation that continued into the evening. The child and his father were eventually located in Cincinnati Ohio."

Knowing that the mother had to travel to Ohio so authorities could quickly regain custody of the child, Investigator Nuchols reached out to Mr. Kitts for assistance. Mr. Kitts, who was conducting a training session, began searching for transportation options for the mother. It was determined that the quickest option would be via bus. Ms. Gorman was then called to see what, if any, options would be immediately available to fund the cost of the ticket.

Chief Rausch said, "Without hesitation, Ms. Gorman purchased the bus tickets with her own credit card to make sure the mother would be able to board the bus on its last departure of the evening."

"Due to the quick actions of Mr. Kitts and Ms. Gorman, the Cincinnati Police Department was able to facilitate the reunion of the child and his mother," said Chief Rausch.

Mayor Rogero said, "The actions of Ms. Gorman and Mr. Kitts clearly show the commitment our employees have to their job as well as to the citizens we serve. Congratulations on a job well done."

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Police Chief David Rausch today named Officer Benjamin McVay the February Officer of the Month for the Knoxville Police Department. Officer McVay has been with the department since March 2005.

Chief Rausch said that on February 24, 2012, at approximately 1:06 p.m., an individual entered the Community South Bank at 625 S. Gay Street with the intent of robbing the bank. Within minutes officers had responded and established a perimeter of the immediate area. Once a possible description of the suspect was obtained, Officer McVay immediately began a hasty search of the area.

Chief Rausch said, "Officer McVay located the suspect behind a nearby business attempting to enter a vehicle with another individual. Officer McVay was able to quickly ascertain that this was the suspect from the bank even after the suspect had removed his hoodie and sunglasses that were a part of his disguise."

Officer McVay immediately detained both suspects for investigation. In addition, clothing worn during the robbery as well as cash taken from the bank was recovered from the suspects.

Chief Rausch said, "Officer McVay did an outstanding job of canvassing the area and locating two suspects who were working together in the commission of a felony. Due to his quick action two criminals were removed from our community."

Mayor Rogero said, "We appreciate Officer McVay's actions that resulted in the apprehension of two dangerous individuals."

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Police Chief David Rausch named Officer Larry Presnell the September Officer of the Month for the Knoxville Police Department. Officer Presnell has been with KPD since February 1991.

Chief Rausch said that on September 8, 2011, at approximately 12:14 p.m., officers responded to a robbery of an individual in the parking lot of a grocery store in Fountain City. The female victim was robbed of her purse by the suspects as she was walking to her vehicle. A few minutes later, officers received information that the suspects were attempting to use the victim's credit card at a business on Washington Pike. Officer Presnell, who was investigating a near-by vehicle crash, began searching the area for the vehicle.

Chief Rausch said, "Officer Presnell located the suspects near Mall Road and Washington Pike. After confirming the description and the license plate number of the suspect's vehicle, Officer Presnell attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the 1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme vehicle."

The suspects fled from Officer Presnell. During the three minute pursuit in the Alice Bell community, the suspects tossed from their vehicle the victim's credit cards and identification cards. The suspects then crashed their vehicle into a tree as they attempted to turn onto Alice Bell Road from Valley View Drive. Both the male and female suspect fled from the vehicle on foot, but was quickly apprehended by responding officers.

Both suspects were involved in the robbery of a female the previous day in the parking lot of a business in the 4400 block of Chapman Highway. During that incident the male suspect used a taser on the 61 year-old victim while the female suspect grabbed the victim's purse from her vehicle.

Chief Rausch said, "Officer Presnell's actions and desire to protect the community stopped a violent crime spree and prevented additional citizens from becoming victims."

Mayor Rogero said, "We congratulate Officer Presnell for his dedication in serving the citizens we serve."

he Knoxville Police Department (KPD) will host Halloween on the Plaza to provide a safe alternative for families on Halloween.

The event is on Monday, October 31 frtom 5 to 8 p.m. at Mary Costa Plaza at the Knoxville Coliseum at 500 Howard Baker Jr. Avenue

Plent of parking is available for you to bring your children for an evening of fun and goodies

Enjoy rizes, games, inflatables, face painting, balloon animals, food and drinks and plenty of candy.

Everything is FREE!

Don't forget your camera.

For more info please call 865-215-1325.

T

Knoxville Mayor Daniel Brown and Police Chief David Rausch named Sgt. Mike McCarter the August Officer of the Month for the Knoxville Police Department. Sgt. McCarter has been with KPD since November 1994.

Chief Rausch said on August 2, 2011, at approximately 5:54 a.m., Sgt. McCarter was conducting patrol activities in the Old City in direct response to a recent increase of car burglaries. Throughout the previous week the Old City had experienced numerous car burglaries. Sgt. McCarter was able to determine the pattern and timeline of the thefts.

Chief Rausch said, "Using that information, Sgt. McCarter located the suspect standing beside a vehicle that had just had a window broken out. Sgt. McCarter immediately detained the suspect for investigation. An examination of the surrounding area revealed seven additional vehicles that had just been burglarized."

The suspect had numerous items form the burglarized vehicles in his possession in addition to several cuts on his hands suffered while breaking into the cars.

Chief Rausch said, "Sgt. McCarter's observations, planning, and actions put a stop to a criminal that was plaguing the Old City area and was costing numerous citizens both time and money. He displayed good basic police skills in making sure the target area was patrolled at just the right time."

Mayor Brown said, "We congratulate Sgt. McCarter on a job well done."

SUSPECT:
Christopher Robinson
DOB: 5/21/68
Homeless

Knoxville Police investigators are continuing to review evidence today related to the Thursday evening shooting of two men inside an apartment in the Fort Sanders neighborhood.

UT student Crestus Roser was injured and former student Sawyer Webb was killed. Knoxville Police are following several leads and have determined the apparent motive.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Knoxville Police Department’s crime information line at 865-215-7212. Callers can remain anonymous.

Knoxville Police Department has primary jurisdiction for the Fort Sanders area. The densely populated neighborhood is adjacent to the north side of campus and it is home to a large number of UT students, as well as some faculty and staff. There are also numerous residents in the community who have no affiliation with the university.

With this in mind, UTPD and KPD have partnered in enhancing patrols of the area over recent years. Both agencies assign a designated patrol to the Fort Sanders area daily, and respond to incidents that occur. The agencies work on specific initiatives to identify potential problems and raise overall awareness about safety. UTPD supplements the KPD patrol function in the area with bicycle officers, foot patrols, and motorcycles along with marked and unmarked police vehicles.

This semester, UT Police, Knoxville Police, the Dean of Students Office, and Student Government Association have conducted several “safety blitz” outreach efforts, making more than 1000 contacts with people in the neighborhood. Ongoing plans will further involve community members in crime prevention and reduction initiatives.

UTPD is emphasizing that faculty, students, and staff in and around the UT campus should:

Remain aware of their surroundings: Perpetrators of criminal activity often target people they perceive to be distracted, intoxicated, or unaware of their surroundings. By paying attention to their surroundings and avoiding being intoxicated, individuals can greatly reduce their chance of becoming a victim.

Avoid walking alone at night. Be wary when approached by strangers, as robberies and assaults often stem from aggressive panhandling. Students are also urged to avoid opening or unlocking doors for people they do not know. Also ensure all windows and doors are locked at all times, even when you are home.

Most serious crime reported around our campus has occurred in the early morning hours. UTPD encourages every member of the community to utilize safety resources including the 100 blue phones around campus, which provide a direct link to UTPD and the T-Link night shuttle. You can also contact UTPD directly at (865) 974-3114.

Please contact KPD or UTPD any time you need assistance or notice anything suspicious. You can also provide information or report a crime anonymously at http://web.utk.edu/~utpolice/Silent_Witness.html.

Knoxville Mayor Daniel Brown and Police Chief David Rausch named Brandi Carson the August Civilian Employee of the Month for the Knoxville Police Department. Ms. Carson is a victim services counselor in the department's Family Crimes Unit and has been with KPD since August 2003.

Chief Rausch said that Ms. Carson discovered that the signing of petitions for orders of protection was being significantly delayed because of the time involved in the physical delivery of the petitions from the Justice Center to the courthouse and then the subsequent returns. That meant a domestic violence victim filing a petition on Friday would not have a signed order returned until the following Tuesday.

Chief Rausch said, "Ms. Carson requested a meeting with Judge Bill Swann to discuss the deficient procedure. During the meeting Ms. Carson suggested using an electronic filing procedure to eliminate the delays."

Ms. Carson researched what software and hardware would be required to implement the new procedure. She reformatted the petition form to make it "user friendly" for the electronic process and made a collaborative presentation to Justice Center supervisors.

Chief Rausch said, "Ms. Carson used her advanced computer skills to reformat an exhaustive document, trained numerous individuals on the new procedures, and most importantly, assisted victims of domestic violence by speeding up the process to obtain an order of protection."

Mayor Brown said, "Ms. Carson's efforts have greatly increased the security of domestic violence victims. We applaud her dedication to her job and to the citizens we serve."

Knoxville Mayor Daniel Brown and Police Chief David Rausch named Lt. Greg Hoskins the July Officer of the Month for the Knoxville Police Department. Lt. Hoskins has been with the department since November 1981.

Chief Rausch said that on three separate self-initiated investigations, Lt. Hoskins' activities resulted in four suspects being charged with multiple felonies. The series of arrests started on June 20, 2011, when Lt. Hoskins observed a vehicle burglary suspect in the parking lot of a motel on Central Avenue Pike. The suspect attempted to flee but was taken into custody without incident. One vehicle was found to have been burglarized. The keys to that vehicle were located in the suspect's pockets. The suspect, Robert Whipple, III (DOB 1-17-73 - Homeless), was charged with one count of auto burglary and possession of burglary tools. Several additional warrants were on file for his arrest from Knox County.

On July 17, 2011, at approximately 2:19 a.m., Lt. Hoskins was conducting property checks in an unmarked cruiser when he observed two males breaking into a vehicle at a business located at 2013 Dutch Valley Road. The suspects had stolen the vehicle from another business and were in the process of draining the gasoline from the vehicle.

It is believed the suspects had brought the van to this location to be set on fire after the contents had been removed. Robert Wooten (DOB 3-19-81 - Knoxville), and Charles Grubb (DOB 8-19-78 - Knoxville), were both charged with multiple felonies including theft of a motor vehicle and felony vandalism.

On July 31, 2011, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Lt. Hoskins was patrolling in the area of Cedar Lane looking for a wanted burglary suspect when he observed the suspect's girlfriend drive through the area. Lt. Hoskins followed the vehicle to a market on Woodland Avenue where he observed the wanted suspect get into the vehicle. Lt. Hoskins, with the assistance of additional officers, conducted a traffic stop as the vehicle entered Western Heights. The suspect ran from the vehicle and into a nearby wooded area. A K-9 located the suspect hiding under a piece of carpet. The suspect, Charles Brandon Smith (DOB 7-2-86 - Knoxville), was charged with evading arrest in addition to several outstanding warrants.

Chief Rausch said, "Lt. Hoskins exhibited great leadership not just once, but on three separate occasions setting an example for his officers to follow. By using his training and experience, he was able to make multiple felony arrests and solved several criminal cases."

Mayor Brown said, "We congratulate Lt. Hoskins on a job well done."