Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Police Chief Sterling Owen today named Officer Kevin Ragland, Officer William Muhlfeld, Officer Jonathan Chadwell, and Officer Matthew Janish the March Officers of the Month. Officer Ragland and Officer Chadwell have been with the Knoxville Police Department since November 2003. Officer Muhlfeld and Officer Janish have been with the department since June 2006.
Chief Owen said that on March 27, 2007 the officers responded to a medical call at an apartment on Highland Avenue. EMT's treated the victim at the scene before being transported to a hospital for treatment. The officers observed marijuana, hydrocodone pills, powder cocaine, and a set of digital scales in plain view. A loaded handgun was also observed in the room where the victim and drugs were located. The officers asked the victim's roommate for verbal permission to conduct a search of the apartment, but the roommate refused to consent to the search request. Chief Owen said, "After being denied verbal permission to search the apartment, the officers obtained a search warrant. As a result, numerous weapons and an assortment of illegal drugs were located and seized."
The results of the search were as follows:
Three shotguns
One rifle
One handgun
2.2 lbs. of marijuana in a large plastic bag
66 grams of marijuana in small plastic bags - packaged for resale
100 hydrocodone pills
46 ecstasy pills
One plastic bag of powdered ecstasy
One plastic bag of powdered cocaine
Two sets of scales
Nine glass marijuana pipes
$1,361.00
Chief Owen said, "Rather than just respond to a call and process it as a routine medical call, these officers paid close attention to their surroundings and conducted a thorough preliminary investigation. Their actions resulted in the arrest and removal of a heavily armed drug dealer from the UT / Ft. Sanders area."
Mayor Haslam said, "Their actions have made a major impact on the safety and security of the residents in this area and the students attending UT. We commend them on a job well done."
The officers will receive a signed certificate from the mayor and chief along with a free dinner from Bayou Bay Seafood House.
Click here to view a listing of previous KPD award winners.