August 2, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
A man accused of aggravated statutory rape who led Smithville Police on a pursuit last September before crashing his vehicle was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday, August 1.
Judge Gary McKenzie presided.
27-year-old Tyler Shawn Fowler entered a plea to aggravated statutory rape and received a three-year sentence to serve at least 30% before his release eligibility date. He was given jail credit from September 6, 2021 to August 1, 2022. His name will be on the state’s sexual offender registry.
The Fowler story unfolded on Friday, September 10, 2021 at around 3:15 p.m. on Meadowbrook Drive as Fowler tried to outrun Smithville Police. When the officer initiated his lights and sirens, Fowler began to increase his speed and refused to stop. After about a 15-minute chase, Fowler ran the vehicle he was driving into a ditch and began to flee on foot. The Tennessee Highway Patrol was later summoned to help search the woods using a K-9. At the time officers thought Fowler might be armed. He was not. Trooper Bobby Johnson, Trooper Andrew Coppinger, and THP K-9 officer Adam Cothron and his dog Draco arrived on the scene.
“We responded to Tabernacle Road due to a man who had fled on foot into the woods and was possibly armed. He was wanted for aggravated kidnapping. They requested our K-9 assistance. The K-9 came from Trousdale County and upon arrival he began to track. After a couple of minutes he located the suspect in some brush. Fowler wouldn’t comply with commands to get on the ground or get his hands up so the K-9 was deployed and drug him out from the brush. Fowler was then checked out by DeKalb EMS and taken into custody,” said Trooper Johnson.
Tyler was wanted for the aggravated statutory rape of a 15-year-old. The indictment alleges that Fowler unlawfully and intentionally or knowingly sexually penetrated the teen between the dates of April and September 2021.
37-year-old Ashley Dawn Williams entered a plea to facilitation to commit identity theft and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to judicial diversion.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on March 1, 2020 Williams used the name and social security number of another person in order to open an account with Xfinity for herself. She admitted to having committed the crime. The case was investigated by a Sheriff’s Department Detective.
49-year-old William Oscar Meadows entered a plea to possession with intent to sell or deliver less than 0.5 grams of methamphetamine. He received a six-year sentence suspended to supervised probation with 180 days to serve and fined $2,000. He was given jail credit of 180 days.
46-year-old Steven Ellis Anderson entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) greater than 0.5 grams and received an eight-year sentence suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000.
36-year-old Corey Winchester entered a plea to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended except for 48 hours to serve. He will be on supervised probation and must pay a $350 fine. He will lose his driver license for a year.