Wlaf1450LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Police thought the driver of a car was fleeing. The driver told officers that he was just in a hurry to get home, according a report from the La Follette Police Department.
LPD Detective-Sergeant Noah Riggs was on routine patrol Wednesday evening traveling west on East Beech Street. A car with Jonathan Sexton behind the wheel passed the Det.-Sgt. going the other way. Riggs had dispatch verify his initial thought and that is Sexton’s driver’s license is suspended.
Based on the LPD report, Riggs made a U-turn to observe Sexton, and Sexton soon accelerated to a high rate of speed making a right turn onto River Drive. Once on River Drive, Det.-Sgt. Riggs turned on his lights and siren. As Riggs was attempting to catch-up with the car, the car made a left turn onto East Chestnut Street continuing at a high rate of speed appearing to Officer Riggs that Sexton was fleeing. On East Chestnut, Riggs paced Sexton at 50 miles per hour in the 30 MPH zone.
At the intersection of East Chestnut Street and South Indiana Avenue, Sexton allegedly did not stop at the stop sign as he turned right onto South Indiana Avenue. Riggs describes in his report that Sexton slow rolled the car for two city blocks while the officer followed in his cruiser with lights and sirens still in operation. Sexton turned right into the parking lot at Indiana Avenue Baptist Church.
At 6:05pm is when Riggs made contact with Sexton asking why he was attempting to flee, and Sexton allegedly said that he was in a hurry to get home. Officer Riggs requested to see Sexton’s driver’s license, and Sexton explained that he did not have one though he did have a Tennessee ID, according to the report.
Back-up officer Jami Wadle asked Sexton if he had anything illegal on his person, and Sexton allegedly said yes, a needle, and gave Officer Wadle consent to remove the needle. As back-up officer Anthony Mahar attempted to recover the needle, a green metal container fell out of Sexton’s right pants pocket onto the parking lot.
Officer Mahar recovered the green metal container discovering that it contained several empty baggies with a white residue in the baggies and a baggie with the marking of 8.73 with a crystal-like substance believed to be meth with approximately 5.0 grams, based on the police report. Given the way the crystal-like substance was packaged, and the multiple baggies in the same container, Det.-Sgt. Riggs felt like the meth was for resale.
Jonathan Blake Sexton, 36, 673 Pleasant Ridge Road-La Follette was arrested and charged with speeding, 50 MPH in a 30 MPH zone, driving on a suspended, revoked or canceled driver’s license, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony possession of meth for resale.
Sexton, arrested for the 16th time, according to records at the Campbell County Jail, remains housed in the county jail without bond. He is due in court on Jan. 24. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 01/13/2023-6AM)