The Knoxville Police Department is pleased to announce its February 2020 commendation recipients. Due to continuing Covid-19 concerns, the Department chose not host a public ceremony to present these commendations, instead opting for a private recognition of those selected to receive awards.

Four officers were picked by the Commendations and Awards Committee to receive the February Officer of the Month Award. Additionally, one employee was named the February Civilian of the Month Award recipient, while one unit was presented with the Unit Award.

Officers Austin Jordan and Tim Walker

Officers Austin Jordan and Tim Walker were selected to receive the February Officer of the Month Award due to their quick response and concern for citizens in need, which ended in the arrest of an offender with a long local criminal history.

On February 18 at around 7:40 p.m., Officer Jordan responded to a call in the 1600 block of Forest Avenue, where a female called 911 stating that a male had approached her out of nowhere and walked beside her on the sidewalk. The female stated she went straight home and locked the door, at which time the male suspect began to try and open the door. Officer Jordan responded to the area immediately but was unable to locate the suspect. 

Minutes after that, Officer Jordan was dispatched to a fully engulfed structure fire in Mechanicsville. While on scene, another female called 911 from the same residence as the initial caller on Forest Avenue. The female stated that a male suspect was attempting to make entry into the residence.

It was then that Officer Jordan asked to be relieved from his traffic duty at the fire to respond back to that scene. At that same time, Officer Walker, who was familiar with the first incident, heard the call and responded as well. Due to their rapid response and understanding of the seriousness of the situation, the officers were able to take the male suspect into custody while he was sitting on the front porch of the residence.

Officer Chas Terry

Violent Crimes Unit investigator Chas Terry was selected to receive the February Officer of the Month Award for a diligent and comprehensive investigation that resulted in charges against an alleged predator. 

On September 29, 2019, Investigator Terry was dispatched to a suicide call. While investigating the suicide, Investigator Terry began to suspect that it was not just a suicide. Based on that, he confiscated the victim’s laptop and took it to the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit to have its contents downloaded.

Upon investigation of that laptop’s contents, Investigator Terry discovered many messages via Facebook Messenger between the victim and a male suspect that were extremely sexual in nature, including references to self-harming and BDSM. Through continued investigation, Terry determined that the suspect had an ongoing relationship with the victim for approximately eight years, dating back to when she was a juvenile. That relationship, which began when the suspect was an adult, consisted of the suspect controlling and dominating the female victim through the remainder of her childhood up until she took her life while he watched via FaceTime.

Understanding the precedent that may be set in charging the suspect, Investigator Terry worked alongside the Knox County District Attorney’s Office to put together a PowerPoint presentation that consisted of approximately 228 slides. On February 12, 2020, that was delivered to a Knox County Grand Jury, which returned a True Bill charging the suspect with Criminally Negligent Homicide.

Investigator Terry then made arrangements with the police department in Indiana where the suspect lived and traveled to Indiana to assist in the arrest of the suspect. On February 20, the suspect signed his extradition warrant and has since been booked into the Knox County Detention Center, where he is awaiting trial.

Lieutenant Rob Taylor

Lieutenant Rob Taylor was named as a February Officer of the Month recipient for his contribution of time, effort and knowledge to the most recent promotional process, which will directly influence the future of the Knoxville Police Department.

In early 2020, the KPD completed one of the largest testing, selection and training programs for supervisors in the Department’s recent history. The process concluded with a three-week training program in February and was followed by a two-week field training program for newly promoted supervisors, which included Captains, Lieutenants and Sergeants.

The process of preparing those officers for promotion included countless hours of research, preparation, planning and classroom presentation. As part of that, Lieutenant Rob Taylor was tasked with facilitating a training program that was developed by the KPD’s Command Staff and Training Unit.

Throughout every step of the supervisor training school, Lt. Taylor spent countless hours in the classroom, reinforcing the material while providing real-world skills and insight to assist those officers in their new roles as leaders within the Department.

All told, Lt. Taylor devoted 40-plus hours each week to the classroom mentoring newly promoted officers, all while continuing to address his regular duties as the West District Executive Officer.

Violent Crimes Unit Office Assistant Tirzah Given

Violent Crimes Unit Office Assistant Tirzah Given was selected to receive the February Civilian of the Month commendation for her efforts to make the third floor of the Public Safety Building a better and cleaner place for all those working there.

In February, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and with the threat of the seasonal flu still looming, Tirzah went above and beyond to ensure the cleanliness of the third floor offices. She took it upon herself to wipe down every doorknob, handle or frequently touched location on a daily basis, both in the Violent Crimes Unit office as well as the Property Crimes Unit offices that make up the entirety of the third floor of the Public Safety Building. Additionally, Tirzah took the initiative to clean the carpets and re-organize the supply closet among a multitude of other self-initiated tasks as they arose.

Tirzah was also lauded for her positive attitude and willingness to go above and beyond for investigators on a daily basis.   

National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Unit

The KPD’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Unit was awarded the February Unit Commendation for its consistent, tireless and often overlooked work behind the scenes.

The NCIC bears many responsibilities, including answering radio and phone calls, assisting officers in the Safety Building, and working with agencies both locally and nationally to assist officers in locating wanted or missing persons as well as stolen property. The Unit is also responsible for all KPD entries made into the NCIC database, and are tasked with ensuring that information is both accurate and timely.

The NCIC Unit was previously invited to participate in a panel discussion regarding gang member entries at the 2020 annual TIES Conference in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which is attended by representatives from every TIES agency in the state. KPD’s NCIC Unit was also recognized by FBI Training Specialist and Lead NCIC instructor Harry Carlile Jr. as one of the top three agencies in the state for completeness and accuracy in gang member entries. That recognition would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of Operators Samantha Madison and Daniel Evans.

The NCIC Unit is made up of Terminal Agency Coordinator Angela Schmidt, Alternate Terminal Agency Coordinator Paula Troutt, Tammy Comerford, Angelina Bisch, Karen Melton, Ashleigh Scott, Janice Stariha, Madison and Evans.