Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Ten years ago today, two of Wilson County’s finest law enforcement officers gave their life to our community as they attempted to stop a dangerous fleeing felon who had no care for anyone’s safety. Just after 9:00 a.m., Sgt. Jerry Mundy (MJPD) and Dep. John Musice (WCSO) were deploying spike strips in an effort to stop a criminal who fled to Mt. Juliet from Knoxville and continued to run from police. That criminal saw the officers deploying the spikes, and she directed her car directly at them. Unfortunately the officers could not run faster than a speeding car, and they were murdered on Interstate 40 in Mt. Juliet.

Law enforcement officers have a very dangerous job, but someone in our community has to step-up to keep us all safe. There are evil people in our society, and law enforcement officers stand strong and defend the thin-blue-line that separates the good from evil. 148 other officers were killed in the line-of-duty and gave the same sacrifice that Jerry and John did in 2003. Since their deaths, over 1600 law enforcement officers have been killed in the United States while serving and protecting our communities. That number is way too high. Just like Jerry and John, their families lost a loved one, and their communities lost a hero.

Everyone at the Mt. Juliet Police Department appreciates the support as we cross into the 10^th year since the tragic events on July 9, 2003. This is something we will certainly never forget, and Jerry and John will always be in our hearts and on our minds as we continue to serve and protect one of the best cities in Middle Tennessee. Thank you Mt. Juliet. We are here for you, and we will do whatever it takes to keep you, your family, and our community safe.

-Men & Women of the Mt. Juliet Police Department

Case: 13-17823 Date: July 2, 2013 Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Boxcroft Circle at Boxcroft Court (The Cottages)

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A 20-year-old male landscaper was robbed while mowing grass in a Mt. Juliet neighborhood this afternoon. At 2:00 p.m. the victim called 911 stating he had just been robbed at gunpoint. Mt. Juliet Police officers immediately responded to the scene, but the suspects had already fled the area. The victim stated to investigators that two suspects approached him as he was mowing the grass on a riding lawnmower. One suspect was armed with a handgun, and they demanded his headphones. A struggle developed, and one shot was fired by a suspect. After the gunshot, both suspects ran to a nearby vehicle, which was described as a tan 2000 year model Jeep Grand Cherokee. The suspects were described as two black males in their early 20’s. One was wearing a black shirt and had long hair, and the other was wearing a bright green shirt and a black hat. It is believed, that prior to robbing the victim, the suspects burglarized his vehicle.

Mt. Juliet Criminal Investigators on Robbery Scene

Investigators with Mt. Juliet’s Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene for processing and evidence collection. No one was injured during this incident. This investigation is ongoing, and investigators are now piecing everything together in hopes of a quick resolution.

Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

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Case: 13-17798 Date: July 2, 2013 Time: 1:45 a.m.

Location: 20 Benders Ferry Road (Corner Market & Prestige Jewelry & Loan)

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A Mt. Juliet pawn shop and market was burglarized early this morning by a group of burglars using a stolen moving truck. The group first stole the truck in Nashville, and they drove it to Mt. Juliet to haul away stolen goods. Early Tuesday morning around 1:45 a.m. the burglary alarm summoned Mt. Juliet Police to the Corner Market located on Benders Ferry Road. As officers arrived on the scene, they noticed that the front glass door to the business was shattered.

The Three Suspects

The Corner Market is connected to the Prestige Jewelry and Loan, and the burglars forced down the connecting door to gain entry into the pawn shop. A large amount of cigarettes was stolen from the Corner Market, and they even stole beer. A lone burglar entered the pawn shop and targeted jewelry. Currently, investigators are still determining the amount and value of stolen jewelry. It is expected to be well over $30,000.00. Video surveillance shows a large box-style Penske moving truck backing up to the front door of the business. Three suspects exited the truck, and one smashed the front door with a sledge hammer. All three suspects entered to begin their thievery. A blood trail was left throughout the Corner Market as one suspect injured himself while busting through the glass door. The stolen truck was later located in Wilson County.

The Mt. Juliet Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the thieves. There is great surveillance video, and the suspects are easily recognizable. The suspects are described as:

Suspect 1: Middle-aged Black Male with dredlock-stye black hair, around 5’8″ tall with a stocky build.

Suspect 1

Suspect 2: Middle-aged White Female, around 5’6″ tall with a stocky/athletic build.

Suspect 2

Suspect 3: Middle-aged White Male with mullet-style blonde hair, around 6’0″ tall with a skinny build

Suspect 3

Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A child has died after being struck by a pick-up truck in Mt. Juliet. Ethan Page, 5, of Mt. Juliet was playing on his family’s property located off Main Street in Mt. Juliet when he fell into the path of truck driven by Jimmy Allmon, 73, of Mt. Juliet. Mr. Allmon was assisting the Page family with preparations for an upcoming cancer benefit. As he was driving down the driveway in his Ford F250 truck, Ethan Page was struck and critically injured.

Ethan Page, 5, of Mt. Juliet
(Photo Provided By Parents)

“Our community is grieving with the Page family. This is such a terrible, terrible incident. Any tragic death of a child is very sad and difficult to deal with,” stated Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick. “Our department’s thoughts and prayers are with the family, community, and our emergency responders.”

After Ethan was struck, witnesses to the incident immediately called for help. An ambulance was quickly dispatched to the scene, and Ethan was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Mt. Juliet police officers closed intersections through Mt. Juliet while the ambulance was en route to the hospital to prevent any delay. Upon arrival to the hospital, Ethan was pronounced dead.

Mt. Juliet Police Sergeant Hamblen, a crash reconstructionist, conducted a thorough investigation regarding this incident. Lebanon Police Department’s crime scene investigators assisted Sgt. Hamblen in his investigation. The investigation revealed that this incident was an extremely tragic, sad event. Mr. Allmon was driving down the driveway and noticed a bicycle laying in the driveway’s path. Mr. Allmon stopped, and Ethan removed the bicycle out of the way. Mr. Allmon proceeded forward, and Ethan began to run alongside the truck. Ethan tripped and fell into the truck’s path, which led to him being struck.

There will be no criminal charges placed on Mr. Allmon, the driver. Mr. Allmon is a family friend to the Page’s, and there is no relation between him and Ethan. The cancer benefit that was scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 23 was cancelled, but it will be rescheduled in the near future.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, local residents are reminded that the sale and use of fireworks are regulated by the City of Mt. Juliet. Fireworks can be fun and exciting. However, they need to be used safely to avoid serious burns, eye damage, and even death. When using fireworks, safety should be everyone’s priority. Fourth of July celebrations are responsible for many burn injuries that are associated with premature detonation or misuse of fireworks. Most firework injuries occur with children. These injuries usually include burns to the hands and eyes causing vision impairment. Firework related injuries can be avoided, and the Mt. Juliet Police Department urges residents to follow safety tips and to be careful during their holiday celebrations.

In Mt. Juliet, it is unlawful to sell or use fireworks in the city except from June 20th through July 5th and December 10th through January 2nd. During this holiday season, fireworks cannot be discharged or used between the hours of 10:00PM – 10:00AM. In addition, fireworks cannot be sold or given to any person under the age of 18. It is permissible for juveniles to use fireworks only if a parent is supervising the activity. Failure to comply with Mt. Juliet’s City Code regulating fireworks could result in a $188.00 fine.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these common sense safety tips for using consumer fireworks in the hopes that injuries can be greatly reduced:

• Parents and caretakers should always closely supervise teens if they are using fireworks.
• Parents should not allow young children to handle or use fireworks.
• Fireworks should only be used outdoors.
• Always have water ready if you are shooting fireworks.
• Know your fireworks. Read the caution label before igniting.
• Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them.
• Alcohol and fireworks do not mix.
• Wear safety glasses whenever using fireworks.
• Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
• Soak spent fireworks with water before placing them in an outdoor garbage can.
• Avoid using homemade fireworks or illegal explosives: They can kill you!
• Report illegal explosives, like M-80s and quarter sticks, to the fire or police department.

And note these special safety tips, if using sparklers:

• Always remain standing while using sparklers.
• Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
• Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.
• Never throw sparklers.
• Sparkler wire and stick remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop spent sparklers in a bucket of water.
• Teach children not to wave sparklers, or run, while holding sparklers.

Enjoy your time with your friends and loved ones. Everyone at the Mt. Juliet Police Department wishes you a happy and safe Independence Day.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Police Department has announced the security and traffic control plan for the City of Mt. Juliet Fourth of July Fireworks in the Providence MarketPlace area. The firework presentation will begin at 9:00 p.m. Mt. Juliet Police are expecting a large amount of people to attend the event, and a large amount of exiting traffic out of the Providence MarketPlace area after the fireworks at approximately 10:00 p.m. With safety being a top priority, a large amount of police officers will be present during the event. A traffic plan has been established and police officers will be controlling some intersections. This is a large gathering of people, so the police department is asking attendees to be vigilant. The police department relies on the public for help, and attendees are reminded to say something if they spot anything suspicious. To contact the police department’s non-emergency line, attendees can simply dial 311. Please remember that during this event our roadways will see a major increase in traffic, so delays should be expected.

“Well over half of the police department’s officers and will be involved in the event in some way. We are also working with Providence MarketPlace management, and they are footing the bill for even additional police officers.” stated Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick. “I want to ensure this patriotic celebration is safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

The following intersections will be closed to exiting traffic:

• Adams Ln @ S. Mt. Juliet Rd (SR 171)
• Crossing Circle @ S. Mt. Juliet Rd (SR 171)
• Providence Market Place Exit adjacent to Chick-fil-A/Wendy’s
• Providence Market Place Exit adjacent to Taco Bell

The Mt. Juliet Police Department is encouraging people to use alternate parking locations to watch the firework celebration. The fireworks will be launched from the field behind Target. Therefore, the fireworks will be visible from parking areas along Pleasant Grove Road near the Paddocks shopping development.

Personal fireworks, alcoholic beverages, and barbecue grills are prohibited from private business lots during this event.

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Coffee With A Cop Event Planned

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Police Department is inviting you to have Coffee With A Cop next Friday. Police Chief James Hambrick and other officers from the department will be available for good conversation away from police headquarters. Mt. Juliet’s first Coffee With A Cop event will be on Friday, June 21, 2013 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Chick-fil-A – Providence (401 S. Mt. Juliet Road).

“This is a great opportunity for our community to stop by and say hello, address concerns, exchange ideas, or ask questions,” said Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick. “We simply want to ensure that our community has the chance to connect with us face-to-face in a comfortable, non-threatening, and super friendly environment. I hope to meet many new residents.”

The Coffee With A Cop program is a non-traditional way to generate conversation between the police department and community it serves. This event allows the public to interact with police officers, including the Chief of Police, in an informal setting to ask questions or address concerns with local law enforcement. Everyone is encouraged to stop by the Coffee With A Cop event to say hello and enjoy free coffee provided by Mt. Juliet’s Chick-fil-A.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A Mt. Juliet Police officer was assaulted by a man while investigating a report of a large disturbance at Willow Creek Apartments in Mt. Juliet. At 7:50 p.m. Sunday evening, Mt. Juliet Police Communications received a call by a Willow Creek Apartment resident regarding a group of approximately 12 people being loud, disorderly, and cursing in the parking lot of the apartment complex. After the officer arrived on the scene, he noticed a large group that was loudly yelling obscenities. The officer asked the group to calm down and to be quiet. However, a 17-year-old male made the decision to become even more disorderly. The officer attempted to arrest him, and the 17-year-old resisted the officer. As the officer was attempting to control the resistive 17-year-old, the large group began to surround and charge the officer. A witness from the scene stated that she heard the group talking about ambushing and jumping the officer. Many bystanders called 911 about an officer in trouble. The callers stated that the officer needed help because he was surrounded by a large group of people. The officer also requested assistance, and additional officers were dispatched from the Mt. Juliet Police Department, Wilson County Sheriff’s Department, Lebanon Police Department, and Tennessee Highway Patrol to assist with the large disturbance. Over 15 officers from the various agencies responded to the assist in restoring safety of the community.

Bystander 911 Calls:

Caller 1:

Caller 2:

As additional officers arrived on the scene to help the first officer, they were also surrounded by a large group of people. Officers began to disperse the large group in an attempt to establish order in the apartment complex for the community’s safety. At one point, a few residents of Willow Creek Apartments were asking the disorderly crowd to calm down to protect officers. When the event calmed down, a total of four people were ultimately arrested.

“This type of disorderly behavior is extremely rare for our community,” stated Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick. “Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt by such unfortunate behavior. I’m grateful for the quick response from surrounding agencies that assisted us in our effort to ensure our community remained safe.”

This investigation is ongoing, and additional charges could be forthcoming for other individuals. The officer that was assaulted did not require medical treatment, and he is doing fine.

Two adult’s were arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail and was charged with the following:  

Kenneth Clemmons, age 18 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

Kenneth Clemmons, age 18 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

• Disorderly Conduct
• Resisting Arrest

Kitakiamma Banks, age 36 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

Kitakiamma Banks, age 36 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

• Disorderly Conduct
• Resisting Arrest

Two juveniles were charged and released with the following:

Male Juvenile One, age 17 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

• Unruly Child
• Resisting Arrest

Male Juvenile Two, age 17 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn. 

• Assault On a Law Enforcement Officer
• Resisting Arrest

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – After a lengthy, multi-agency investigation to determine who was responsible for burning down a half-million dollar home, two Mt. Juliet arsonists have been arrested on Federal arrest warrants. John Fisher, 34, of Nashville, and Steven Mellides, 50, of New York, were arrested Thursday afternoon on charges related to the arson of a newly constructed Mt. Juliet home.

Photo of Fire From Police Dash Cam

On May 15, 2013, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging John Fisher and Steven Mellides with conspiracy, two-counts of mail fraud, and arson. The indictment alleges that on December 12, 2009, a fire destroyed a newly-constructed-home owned by the builder, Steven Mellides, at 2004 Lynn Haven Court in Mt. Juliet. The home was still owned by Steven Mellides because it had not sold. John Fisher was employed by Steven Mellides to perform construction work and manual labor on the property.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to burn down the home in order to collect insurance money from State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, and they knowingly made false statements to the insurance company regarding the cause and origin of the fire and the personal property that was destroyed by the fire.

Simultaneously, around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, investigators executed federal arrest warrants on John Fisher and Steven Mellides. John Fisher was arrested at a home on Crosswood Drive in Nashville with the assistance of Metro-Nashville Police Department’s Hermitage Flex-Unit. While serving the arrest warrant, officers located a marijuana grow operation on John Fisher’s property with 158 live marijuana plants. Metro-Nashville Police conducted the investigation on the grow operation, and charges are pending. Steven Mellides was arrested in Massapequa, New York without incident.

Marijuana Plants at Fisher’s Home

John Fisher, 34, of Nashville

This case is the product of an investigation by the Mt. Juliet Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the State of Tennessee Bomb and Arson. Assistant United States Attorney Scarlett Singleton is prosecuting the case. A total of $585,451.31 in damages occurred during the arson.

“These arrests indicate the collaborative effort by federal, state and local authorities realizing that arson being a crime of violence and placing innocent people’s lives and property in harm’s way,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeff Fulton. “ATF’s Frontline strategy utilizes every available resource to make our communities a safer place to live.”

If convicted of the arson, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a three year term of supervised release. The mail fraud and wire fraud counts carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three year term of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

“I’m grateful that this case has finally been resolved,” stated Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick. “The assistance of our State and Federal partners has been tremendous, and our community greatly appreciates the help from their hard-working, dedicated agents.”

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Mellides & Fisher Federal Indictment and Warrants Copy

This afternoon around 5:30PM, local media and citizens noticed a post on the social media website Facebook about a robbery that took place at the Providence 14 theater in Mt. Juliet. A robbery did not occur at the theater nor in Mt. Juliet. In addition, there have not been any recent crimes at the theater. It is our understanding that a patron at the theater sent a text message to his wife claiming he was robbed this afternoon. However, he was using figurative language and referring to his spending during the theater trip. He was not actually robbed. His wife then immediately posted on Facebook that he was robbed. Understandably, this prompted inquiries by citizens and local media regarding the factual basis of the post. Everything is fine, and no robbery took place.