“Heroin is taking up 80 to 90 percent of our time. Everything we are dealing with now is related to heroin,” Cheatham County Detective Ken Miller told WKRN News 2 on Monday, March 13, 2017. http://wkrn.com/2017/03/13/cheatham-county-detectives-says-most-burglaries-crimes-and-deaths-related-to-heroin
Heroin costs hundreds of dollars a week and most addicts are unable to maintain employment. In desperation they resort to criminal activities such as theft or burglarizing homes. Selling the stolen items facilitates the funding for their habit.
Cheatham County Sheriff Mike Breedlove posted a public awareness notice on the department’s Facebook Page and website Saturday, March 11, 2017 and warning to all Cheatham County Heroin/Opioid users.
“ADDICTS NOTICE! This is a warning to all Cheatham Heroin/Opioid users. We have had three overdoses in the last few days. Two were saved, one didn’t make it Saturday morning. Several arrests this week of addicts being observed by Cheatham Law Enforcement shooting up. We are not sure if there is a bad batch out there but, we are experiencing a spike. Get help any way you can! You’re giving yourself a lethal injection of poison and this is beyond chasing that high…this is you gambling with death. The odds of you winning are very grim.” – Sheriff Mike Breedlove https://www.facebook.com/Cheatham-County-Sheriffs-Office-130305967034930/
This past week on Friday, March 10, 2017 39-year old, Daniel Judware was caught by Cheatham County Drug Agents injecting himself with heroin inside his vehicle. He was charged with possession of a schedule 1 drug and paraphernalia.
The same night 41-year old Kenneth Barker Jr. was also caught injecting himself with heroin. Barker, a fugitive from Alabama, had heroin filled balloons in his possession along with needles and spoon for cooking the drug.
Additionally, within the same week, Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office responded to three overdose calls over the course of a couple of days . Only two of the three victims survived.
The sheriff’s department responded to a call from a woman in Pegram who arrived home to discover her husband and another man collapsed on top of one another. Investigators found syringes and heroin residue at the scene. Narcan, an injectable medication used to reverse the effects of a drug overdose, was administered, saving the life of one of the men. James Robinson, age 64, was pronounced dead at a hospital in Nashville.
Cheatham County Detective Ken Miller told WKRN News 2 Andy Cordan on Monday, March 13, 2017 heroin had made a strong comeback.
“Our overdose deaths are related to heroin. It used to be pills. Now it is heroin coming back, and what we are finding out is they are cutting it with something that is not heroin, and whatever it is it’s turning fatal,” said Detective Ken Miller. http://wkrn.com/2017/03/13/cheatham-county-detectives-says-most-burglaries-crimes-and-deaths related-to-heroin/
Last month on Thursday, February 9, 2017, WKRN NEWS 2 Andy Cardan reported Cheatham County Detective Jeremy Ethridge saved the life of another overdose victim. Ethridge, first to arrive on the scene, found the woman in bed unresponsive and suspected the cause would be heroin. He was unable to get her to regain consciousness. In an effort to safe her life he administered a Narcan injection. She remained unresponsive until the medics arrived and administered a second injection of Narcan. At that time she regained consciousness telling officials she’d taken four methodone pills, not heroin.
Methodone is often used to reduce withdrawal symptoms from heroin. Charges of aggravated assault could be brought against an individual selling or supplying methodone pills.
In 2016, according to Sheriff Breedlove, the injectable medication Narcan saved numerous lives across the county. The vast number of overdose calls and crimes committed related to drugs throughout the county has necessitated officers to be trained and equipped with Narcan. Ethridge, himself, has saved five lives by administering the injection.
“We have saved more lives in 2016, had more access to the wonder drug Narcan, going in and getting access to the victims before they go into their final death, so that has been a plus – less OD deaths – still more overdoses,” WKRN News 2 reported Cheatham County Sheriff Mike Breedlove stating. http://wkrn.com/2017/03/13/cheatham-county-detectives-says-most-burglaries-crimes-and-deaths-related-to-heroin.
Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition held a Town Hall Meeting in the Cheatham County Central High School Theatre Thursday, March 9, to inform residents, parents and students of the dangers of alcohol and drug consumption. While the meeting focused primarily on consumption of alcohol, District Attorney Ray Crouch, board panelist answering community questions stated drug usage, especially heroin, had become a prevalent concern county-wide.
Cheatham County Juvenile Court Judge Philip Maxey joined Attorney Crouch as a board panelist at the Town Hall Meeting and agreed drug use, especially heroine/opioids is on the rise not only in Cheatham County but nationally.
Thursday, March 16, 2017, WKRN News 2 will be airing stories on the ever growing heroin epidemic during every newscast beginning at 4:00 a.m.
Cheatham County Sheriff Mike Breedlove will be a panelist at the Town Hall meeting on Heroin to be aired on WKRN News 2 broadcast Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Follow Cheatham County Sheriff’s Department on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Cheatham-County-Sheriffs-Office-130305967034930 or learn more about Heroin and investigations WKRN News 2 at http://wkrn.com.
If anyone has any leads, tips or information regarding drug usage, selling or supplying throughout Cheatham County call Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Main Office: 615-792-4341
Criminal Investigations: 615-792-2021
CHEATHAM COUNTY COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COALITION educates and promotes community involvement in reducing alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and other health issues in Cheatham County.
Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition holds monthly meetings on the 4th Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Bank & Trust Community Room, 575 S. Main Street, Ashland City, TN 37015.
For more information on the community enhancement coalition visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/cccecoalition/about/?ref=page_internal or they can be contacted by email at [email protected].
