August 22, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
A man arrested in a part of town known for heavy drug activity is facing several charges including assaulting an officer with a bike, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence (eating suspected drugs) found on him.
21 year old Adam Michael Whitecotton of 451 Oak Street is under a $35,000 bond. In addition to charges of assaulting an officer, tampering with evidence, and resisting arrest, Whitecotton is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication.
While patrolling Highland Street on August 2, Smithville Police spotted Whitecotton sitting on a bike talking with a group of others. Whitecotton also had a backpack. Because this area is known for drug activity, the officers stopped to investigate. One of them asked Whitecotton if he had anything that might be considered illegal in his backpack and after receiving consent to search it found a meth pipe inside a red bandanna. Police then asked Whitecotton if he had anything in his pockets that might be illegal. Whitecotton then jumped off the bike, pushed it into the officer’s legs, and began to run. Police chased him through the neighborhood and onto Restview Street and then to Crestlawn Avenue where Whitecotton tried to hide by crawling under a car. After opening what sounded to police like a plastic bag, Whitecotton then crawled out from under the car when he saw the officers approaching. Police ordered Whitecotton to get on the ground. As he was being cuffed, officers noticed some type of white powder around Whitecotton’s mouth and suspected he had had eaten some type of drug.
49 year old Clarence Edward Sexton Jr. of 1222 South College Street was cited August 3 for a driver’s license violation and simple possession. While on a traffic stop, police confronted Sexton and discovered that he had in his possession a Gabapentin capsule and a Hydrocodone pill for which he had no prescription. His court date is August 22.
53 year old Donna Darlene Hutson of Sparta was cited on August 4 for shoplifting. Hutson was observed by Wal-Mart employees taking items from the store and leaving the building without paying for the merchandise. Her court date is August 22.
30 year old Michael Allen Dowell of Cookeville was arrested August 6 for aggravated assault. Police responded to a physical domestic call at 627 Armory Street and upon arrival spoke with the victim whose mouth was bloody. She had red marks on her throat, a bruise on the left side of her face, and a cut on her arm. Police learned that Dowell had punched her in the face, held a knife to her chest, and tried to strangle her. Witnesses reported seeing Dowell on top of the woman and punching her in the face after hearing screams for help. Bond for Dowell is $20, 000 and his court date is August 22.
44 year old Mark Wayne Hay of Smyrna was cited for shoplifting on August 8 after he was caught on camera taking a bottle of Crown Royal from the Discount Wine & Spirits store and leaving without paying for it. His court date is August 22.
44 year old Randall Mitchell Tittle of 1105 Earl Avenue was cited August 9 for simple possession. Police were called to Wal-Mart in reference to a suspicious person and upon arrival learned that Tittle had taken several items from the store and concealed them in his pants. Police confronted Tittle and retrieved from his left front pocket a clear bag containing 22 yellow tubular capsules believed to be Gabapentin. Tittle was cited for simple possession and Wal-Mart plans to prosecute him for shoplifting. His court date is August 29.
63 year old Johnny Wayne Trapp of 8264 Holmes Creek Road was arrested August 13 for public intoxication. Police were called to McDonald’s to check on a suspicious person spotted laying in the grass. Upon arrival, the officer found the man, Trapp asleep in the grass with a smell of an alcoholic beverage on him. Trapp was awakened and ordered to stand but he was unsteady on his feet. He was then taken into custody due to his being a danger to himself and an annoyance to the employees at McDonald’s. Bond for Trapp is $2,500 and his court date is August 29.