Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Two Mt. Juliet police officers graduated yesterday from the Basic Police School at the East Tennessee Regional Law Enforcement Academy in Morristown, Tennessee. Mt. Juliet’s newest police officers, Officer Felicia Machado and Sammy Roller, along with 49 other law enforcement officers across Tennessee, took part in a graduation ceremony for Class 125 at Walters State Community College.

Before becoming a police officer, Officer Machado grew up in Lebanon, where she served as a dispatcher for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office. She graduated from Cumberland University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Before becoming a police officer, Officer Roller grew up in Lebanon, where he served as a correctional officer for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office for many years. He received the Defensive Driving Award in the police academy.

“Our department is proud of their achievement, and both performed well in their studies. I look forward to seeing all the positive impacts they will bring the Mt. Juliet community in their services,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A 22-year-old man was apprehended after fleeing from officers in three different incidents, where he drove recklessly, struck one police vehicle, and attempted to strike multiple other police vehicles.

On Saturday, September 10, around 1:15 a.m., officers attempted to stop a motorist in a Ford Mustang near Adams Lane, but the motorist fled. During the encounter, the motorist nearly struck police vehicles. Officers chased for a short period, but the pursuit was discontinued due to current conditions. Later in the day, around 8:00 a.m., an officer witnessed the same motorist driving recklessly on Athletes Way. The officer attempted a stop, but the motorist fled. The officer did not give chase.

Later in the afternoon on Saturday, around 3:51 p.m., an officer reencountered the motorist, driving recklessly, and attempted a stop on the suspect, who fled. During the pursuit, the suspect intentionally tried to strike multiple officers in their police vehicles. As the pursuit continued, the suspect struck a police vehicle and two civilian cars, causing minor damage. As the pursuit continued to I-65 North near the 86MM, the suspect struck another civilian vehicle, lost control, and crashed into a tree line. The suspect attempted to run away, but officers quickly apprehended the suspect.

There were no injuries in the chain of events, and 22-year-old Zairious Talley of Nashville was arrested. He was booked into the Wilson County Jail and charged with the following:

• Criminal Attempt of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, 3 counts
• Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident, 2 counts
• Evading Arrest, 2 counts
• Resisting Stop, Halt, Frisk
• Reckless Endangerment
• Reckless Driving

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – For National Faith & Blue Weekend, the Mt. Juliet Police Department is organizing a Community Chili Cook-Off and Open House. The police department and community will come together in a collaborative effort to build stronger bridges through fellowship. The event will be an excellent opportunity for residents to meet and fellowship with neighbors, friends, businesses, and members of the police department in a fun, friendly setting at police headquarters while enjoying many different chili recipes. The event will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Juliet Police Headquarters, located at 1019 Charlie Daniels Parkway.

Groups of friends, families, businesses, and neighborhoods are encouraged to participate in the chili cook-off, and the public is invited to attend, eat chili, and check out police headquarters and equipment. There will be numerous displays of the Mt. Juliet Police Department’s resources and other law enforcement-related equipment and technology.

Representatives for the department will be on-hand to conduct guided tours of police headquarters during the event. Also, a kids’ fun zone will be out on the department’s front lawn.

Those interested in participating in the Chili Cook-off can visit www.mjpdnews.org/chilicookoff for more details.

Faith & Blue Weekend is a national event with activities in communities across the country that bring together law enforcement and residents to build connections, create mutual understanding, and enhance justice and reconciliation. You can learn more about Faith & Blue Weekend here: https://faithandblue.org/about/.

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“On Friday, July 8^th, we were made aware of allegations towards Officer Michael Dyce of possible criminal wrongdoing that occurred off-duty. Once receiving such information, Dyce was immediately decommissioned and removed from service,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation & Metro Nashville Police Department are conducting a complete and thorough investigation into the allegations, and the investigation remains active as Dyce cooperates.”

Dyce began employment at MJPD on 2/24/2020.

Department Photo of Officer Dyce

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – An adult male is in-custody after purposely driving a truck into two parked police vehicles & a civilian car as officers were investigating a domestic-related incident on Alsdale Dr. Officers on foot, having to move out of the suspect’s path, were unharmed.

On Sunday, August 21, 2022 around 7:08 p.m. officers were summoned to a home in the 1600 block of Alsdale Drive by a family member of an individual who was involved in a domestic-related incident. Officers arrived to find a disorderly 21-year-old male suspect who was refusing to exit a pick-up truck in the driveway. The suspect abruptly drove away in the truck, through neighboring yards and back towards the police officers and parked patrol vehicles. After striking the second patrol vehicle, the truck became disabled, and the suspect was arrested.

The suspect was also injured when he crashed into the second patrol vehicle. He was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. No one else was harmed during this incident. Further, the suspect was unlicensed, and he was not the owner of the pick-up truck.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – With the help of K9 Majlo, a burglary suspect was caught after responding officers witnessed the juvenile suspect running away from his burglary attempt at Tractor Supply. On Saturday, August 13, 2022, around 11:45 p.m., officers responded to a burglary alarm at Tractor Supply, 14295 Lebanon Road. Sgt. Chris Barth, with K9 Majlo, was the first to arrive, and he witnessed the suspect running away from the scene. The suspect disappeared between buildings, and officers were directed to set up a containment perimeter.

Sgt. Barth deployed K9 Majlo, who is trained to track people. Within minutes, K9 Majlo led a team of officers to the suspect, who was hiding behind a house on Springmont Drive. The suspect was identified as a 16-year-old male from Antioch.

Further investigation revealed that the 16-year-old had burglary tools, unlawful drug paraphernalia, and stolen packages. He was charged and released to his parent.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – On Tuesday, July 26, and continuing through Friday, July 29, 2022, a series of protests took place at 5002 Crossing Circle, Providence Pavilion. The Mt. Juliet Police Department maintained a presence throughout the protest activity, and the after-action report of the police response is contained in this release.

22027756 Incident After-Action Report

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – School zones will be firmly in focus by Mt. Juliet police officers as students in Wilson County head back to school on Monday, August 1st. Officers will have their focus on motorists who disregard laws designed to protect children in school zones and will provide extra attention at designated routes to and from schools during the first few weeks. In addition to the reduced speed limits in school zones, officers will be focusing on handheld cell phone use in school zones, school bus stop-arm, texting while driving, seat belt, and child passenger safety laws.

“We just want to encourage our community to be patient in their travels while around school zones across Mt. Juliet,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “With any new school year, we all need to adjust to the new traffic patterns, and it takes time to work itself out. Mt. Juliet’s officers will be on-hand to help out where we are needed.”

Throughout the school year, the department will keep an open line of communication with crossing guards so they can easily report unsafe drivers or any other safety issues within the city limits.

Digital radar speed signs have also been deployed to school zones to raise awareness. Mt. Juliet Police have three digital speed signs that display the speed of cars and visually warn drivers if they are driving above the speed limit.

Parents are encouraged to visit their child’s school website to become familiar with the traffic plans for drop-off and pick-up at each school. Wilson County School’s website is http://www.wcschools.com/.

To ensure our school zones are safe this school year, Mt. Juliet Police offer the following suggestions:

• Give yourself plenty of time in the morning! As traffic volumes and congestion on the roadways increase, so does the length of time it takes to travel to your destination. Giving yourself more time by leaving earlier reduces stress, increases your awareness, and improves your driving. Obey the posted speed limit signs and directional signs. This includes marked curbs. These signs and curb markings assist in the traffic flow into and out of the schools and assist in the safety of the students who walk and bike to school. One misplaced car can disrupt the traffic flow and the safety of our students.
• Be patient! Impatience leads to aggressive driving, rude or unwarranted behavior, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, and it creates traffic gridlock. Remember, everyone has the same goal: to get our children safely to and from school. Also, remember that the habits you exhibit in your driving and demeanor are typically passed on to your children when they start driving.
• If you are driving your children to school, have them ready to leave the car with all of their belongings, ready to go, when you come to a stop at the school. Backups and delays are caused when children have to get their backpacks and other items from a car’s trunk or back seat. Explore alternatives such as carpooling, ride-sharing, walking, or biking to school.
• Watch and obey the school crossing guards. Crossing guards are provided to assist with school traffic and the safe crossing of your students across the surrounding streets near each elementary school. Be on the lookout, be prepared to stop, and be ready to follow their directions so our children can get to and from school safely.

Stopping for a School Bus Law:

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Police Department is proud to welcome a new four-legged, specially trained member to the department. After many weeks of training, Citron, an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois, is now on patrol with Officer Jordan Brown. Last week, the two completed their training.

Citron is a “dual-purpose” dog capable of performing building searches, tracking missing persons/suspects, article searches, narcotics detection, and criminal apprehensions. Ofc. Brown and Citron will work a flexible shift designed to cover peak activity times within the City. They will patrol in a specially equipped SUV, outfitted with equipment to ensure Citron is comfortable during his work day.

“I’m beyond grateful for the continued support from our City’s elected leadership and administration, who continue to invest in our community’s safety and police department. As we have seen from Sgt. Barth & K9 Majlo, a K9 team, is very beneficial. They have tracked countless suspects and missing persons, and it would not have been possible without their capabilities,” stated Police Chief James Hambrick. “Ofc. Brown & K9 Citron will be the department’s second K9 team that will be on-duty when Sgt. Barth & K9 Majlo are off-duty. Ofc. Brown & K9 Citron are both very capable, and I have no doubts they will have the same successful, dedicated work as Sgt. Barth & K9 Majlo have proven to us.”

Active Life Chiropractic donated funding to purchase Citron’s bullet-resistant vest.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The department is restructuring patrol shift schedules from three 8-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts, and the new plan will begin on Monday, July 4, 2022. Chief James Hambrick welcomes the change after polling all affected officers and studying other departments’ beneficial results.

“Many of our officers approached the command staff, asking that we look into the possibility of 12-hour shifts, which has been on our radar,” said Chief Hambrick. “All wanted a better quality of life, with weekends off and fewer work days, to spend more time with their family. 12-hour shifts allow for such, and after polling affected staff, over 70% favored the change.”

The new plan will take the department from three 8-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts, and four details (groups of officers with supervision) will rotate off-days to cover the two 12-hour shifts. Dayside officers will be 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the nightside officers will be 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Officers will be off every other Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All supervisors and officers on a detail will always work together and be off together.

“The 12-hour shift plan is trending across law enforcement nationwide, and it is obvious that much of our staff is excited and looking forward to the change,” Hambrick said. “Operationally, the new plan also provides a great benefit in our effort to protect and keep our community safe. More police officers will be on patrol and available for community members.”

With the addition of the new detail, a Sergeant and two Corporals were promoted for the detail’s supervision. Existing units in the Investigative and Support Services division will remain on 10-hour shifts.

The department will be hiring soon as additional police officer positions were approved in the upcoming fiscal year budget, which begins on July 1, 2022. Certified police officers with 3-years or more experience start at $55,452/annually and top out in 2 years at $66,175/annually  Interested applicants should check https://www.mtjuliet-tn.gov/1490/Join-Mt-Juliet-PD to register for future career opportunity notifications.

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