Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Police Chief Sterling Owen today named seven officers as the Officers of the Month for November. The officers are being honored for their response to a home invasion in East Knoxville and include Officer Robert Taylor, Officer Nelson Hamilton, Officer Jeremy Maupin, Officer Ryan Acuff, Officer John Williams, Officer Aaron Bowman, and Officer Rodney Townsend.

Chief Owen said that on November 3, 2004 at approximately 5:57 p.m., Officers Taylor, Hamilton, and Townsend were dispatched to 1300 Chilhowee Drive to investigate the report of a home invasion in progress. A victim who, was still inside the residence, was reporting the incident to the E-911 center. |

Due to that information, the officers responded silently to the scene. Officer Townsend took a position that allowed him to secure the front of the residence. Officers Taylor and Hamilton took up position at the back of the home where they located the caller. They immediately assisted the victim from the residence through a bedroom window.
Once the victim was safe, Officers Taylor and Hamilton repositioned themselves in order to look into the residence for the additional victims and the suspect. The officers were able to inform responding officers to the activities going on inside the residence.

Officers Taylor and Hamilton continued to watch the juvenile suspect order the victims around the kitchen while waiving a handgun back and forth. When the suspect began pouring liquor around the table and chairs of the victims, Officer Maupin briefed officers Acuff, Williams, and Bowman on how and when they would force entry into the residence.

When the suspect attempted to ignite the alcohol, the officers entered the residence and engaged the suspect. Officer Maupin knocked the weapon from the suspect's hand while the other officers secured the suspect and extinguished the fire.

Chief Owen said, "These officers gained entry and charged the suspect placing themselves between the armed suspect and the victims. They handled the situation with outstanding professionalism and courage."

Mayor Haslam said, "These officers are commended for their teamwork in taking decisive action at the time they did. Their actions resulted in the rescue of the victims and the arrest of the suspect."

The officers will receive a signed certificate from the Mayor and Chief along with a free dinner from Bayou Bay Seafood House.