Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Police Chief David Rausch today named Knoxville Police Department Officer Andrew Markham the January Officer of the Month.  Officer Markham has been with the department since July 2011.

On January 23, 2016, at approximately 11:32 p.m., a white male armed with a black handgun entered a motel on Pratt Road.  The suspect told the two female clerks that he would shoot them if they did not give him the money from the register.  The clerks complied with the demand and the suspect fled in a vehicle.  A description of the suspect’s vehicle, a purplish-blue 90’s model Ford Taurus, was quickly obtained and broadcast to responding officers.  The vehicle matched the description of a vehicle used in three previous motel robberies as well as a convenient store robbery.  

Relying on his experience, Office Markham began canvassing areas the suspect may flee to.  Within minutes Officer Markham located a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle parked in front of a Pertinax Drive apartment.  Upon checking the vehicle, Officer Markham determined the engine was still hot and which apartment the occupants were in.    

With the assistance of several officers the occupants were located in the apartment and detained for questioning.  A search of the apartment yielded the discovery of the just robbed motel’s money along with clothing, a bandana, and the handgun used in multiple robberies.  

Chief Rausch said, “Because Officer Markham relied on his instincts and experience, he was able to locate not only the suspects’ vehicle, but the suspects as well.  His response deterred the suspects from any further flight and from the disposal of evidence from the robberies.”

“Officer Markham’s excellent police work removed two violent offenders from our streets and resulted in five felony armed robberies being solved,” Chief Rausch concluded.