Blount sheriff on trial for murder of cop

Dead cops tell no tales...especially when shot 5 times in the back and a gun planted under his corpse. I wonder why BCSO didn't do the same for this Sevier County cop, other than to profit from $10,000 cash bail.

"I’ll burn your house down, set your dog on fire and there won’t be a member of your family left, do you understand me? I won’t hire it done, I will do it myself! Do you understand me?”
-Blount County sheriff James Berrong promising to murder his secretary, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, Nuchols v. Berrong, No. 04-5645, July 11, 2005

"FYI - Anytime that you have conversation with any police officer, they have the technology on their person to record the audio of the conversation. Also, if you ever make the mistake of thinking that the sheriff is interested in what you have to say as a taxpayer, while you're sitting in his office you are video-taped and the conversation is being recorded. That's a fact not just an accusation. Too bad that Sheriff Jimbo couldn't find the tape of when he threatened the Nuchols girl. How convenient. Blount County Sheriff James L. "JIMBO" Berrong is nothing more than a common criminal. He has done his best to keep his party and his family in the money by harrassing those (women, female jouranlists, old men) who question he and his family's undehandedness. In the process of being the lead SOLDIER for the Lambert Hoard, he has just about broken every piece of ethics legislation ever passed in this state or county. He is a CROOK JUST LIKE HIS PREDECESSOR. $$ Chief Deputy Jeff French is a rotten apple that fell from the fruity-tree of the sheriff. I told ya'll before that the fruit that is manufactured from the Berrong/Lambert tree is rotten before it hits the ground. I grew up with some of them and they are a pretty sorry lot to say the least. No morals whatsoever. rapists, murderers, sheriffs on the take. you name it, it's represented in this Blount County family of crooks. What the hell good would that do? Do you honestly think that she wanted to be threatened by the sheriff? Things like burning her house down or setting her dog on fire? Yes, he has done it before.(there's you another accusation, skippy). SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS AND DOWN WITH THE LAMBERT HOARD!"
-RipOff Report: Blount County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Deputy Jeff French

Latest stats: Cops are 600% more likely to be arrested for murder than the average criminal.

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Blount deputy to stand trial: Man accused in wrongful death lawsuit

Court order

$70-Million wrongful death complaint

KNOXVILLE, TENN. -- A federal judge is ordering a Blount County Sheriff's Office sergeant to stand trial in a wrongful death lawsuit over a deadly arrest ruse, but the lawman will be seated alone at the defense table.

U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan has rejected Sgt. Doug Moore's bid for immunity in the February 2008 shooting death of 61-year-old Leeroy Hickman Jr. outside Hickman's Grove Street home, saying there are too many unanswered questions that only a jury can answer.

But in the same order, Varlan dismissed the case against Deputy Lesley Craig, who actually shot Hickman in the back, and Deputies Robert Berkley and Matthew Gilmore, who were part of the deadly ruse but did not fire any shots.

It was Moore who set up the ruse to lure Hickman, himself a former lawman, out of his house to arrest him on a domestic violence warrant. Craig dressed in civilian clothes and pretended to be a friend of Hickman's daughter whose truck had broken down outside his house.

But the plan quickly went awry, court records show. It was dark and rainy, and Craig's raised hood blocked her from the view of Moore and the other two deputies. Initially, the deputies could hear the conversation between Hickman and Craig because Craig had secretly phoned one of the deputies and left the phone open. But when her phone went dead, Moore, Berkley and Gilmore rushed out of the darkness toward Hickman.

Craig ran to the back of her truck, but when she heard the deputies yell 'gun,' she opened fire on Hickman, who was facing his house with his back toward Craig.

Hickman's widow alleges that Hickman was 'confused' and frightened when three strangers dressed in dark clothing suddenly rushed toward him and was trying to flee inside his house when he was shot in the back.

The deputies say Hickman had his hand in his coat pocket and pointed the pocket at them. They say they later found a gun under Hickman's body. Hickman's widow contends that Moore led a cover-up, delaying a call to an ambulance to stage the scene, plant a gun and, later, order blood evidence washed away.

In his ruling, Varlan said Craig had cause to open fire.

'Even assuming Mr. Hickman did not have a gun and that he did not raise his hand in his pocket as if he had a gun, plaintiff has submitted nothing to contradict Craig's belief that Mr. Hickman was threatening to others at the time she fired,' the judge wrote.

But Varlan said it was less clear whether Hickman, who was shot five times in the back, could have been a threat when Moore fired his gun. The judge said there also was enough evidentiary smoke to fan the flames of the widow's cover-up claim.

Among the questions, the judge cited 'conflicting statements of the officers regarding how they found the gun; photos … which indicate a lack of blood on the gun; Mrs. Hickman's statement that the gun found with Mr. Hickman was one he did not normally carry; … whether there was sufficient light for Moore to determine Mr. Hickman was threatening; and records indicating a lapse in time between the shooting and the time an ambulance was called.'

The case against Blount County itself also has been tossed out, with Varlan opining that there is no evidence Hickman's death was the result of a governmental policy or improper training and supervision.

That means Moore will be on his own. So far, though, Blount County taxpayers are footing his defense bill. A trial date was not immediately available Thursday.

Comments

5 SHOTS IN THE BACK THAT IS! You did know that, right?

Wouldn't be the first time that a Lambert has been involved in a murder in this county and got away with it.

Berrong is a liar. If you will watch closely, his eyes twitch so as not to make true contact with anyone. Most of the time he looks as though he is staring at the back wall of the room. No doubt there's more to this story thatn what he is out here lying about.

12 shots fired. Only five hit their mark. berrong is a criminal as is most who draw a paycheck from the BCSwinger'sO.

Berrong is a liar. His mighty BCSO deputies never ever ever get anything like this on video tape. Unreal. They don't want you to know what actually happened.

The BCSO should have never been there to begin with. P-E-R-I-O-D!

BYI - I have lived in BC for all of my life also and we all know about the Lamberts.

Not trolling, just calling the BCSO out for being the thugs and criminals that they are.

Yes, yes, yes. I know all about it and where it happened and have talked to some of the guy's family about the situation and read all the important information concerning the MURDER by the BCSO.

...and when you know that you are caught in your underhandedness, you start vicious unsubstantiated rumors about people, right Jimbo?

You're fuckin' stooge. I have never been as ashamed of anybody in my life as I am you, you sorry assed crook.

If there is a hell, thee's a special place in the cesspools of hell for lamberts like yourself. Enjoy the lawsuit bitch!

I mean the sheriff, not the fact that he is related to all the Lambert criminals in this county.

That's "a Lambert" and it refers to the "Lambert Hoard" which is one of Blount County's most notorious crime families. They hijacked local government back in the early 90's and since that time, the LAW only applies to others in Blount County who aren't connected to them through the development industry.

I would agree 100% with the explanation above.

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Blounty County deputies shoot and kill Maryville man believed to be armed

Man struck by five of 12 gunshots fired by deputies

WBIR-TV, TN -
By Jessica Stith
Feb 25, 2008

[Excerpts] Twelve shots were fired - five shots made contact. A former Maryville police officer was killed by rounds fired by two Blount County Sheriff's deputies after he pulled a gun on them Sunday night. Leroy "Jerry" Hickman Jr., 61, Grove Street, Maryville, was pronounced dead shortly after the incident in front of his residence... Blount County Sheriff James Berrong said Monday that Hickman pulled a gun on deputies while they were serving a domestic assault warrant on him at about 11:15 p.m. Sunday. He said Deputy Paige Craig and Sgt. Doug Moore fired the shots as a result of Hickman's threatening actions. Berrong said the warrant was filed against Hickman by a family member Sunday morning, after an incident at his residence Saturday night. He said the sheriff's office had information that Hickman could potentially be violent, due to information from his family members. A magistrate wrote "use extreme caution" on the warrant that was filed, Berrong said. There was also a statement from a family member attached to the warrant that said Hickman told them he would make family members "famous" if they ever called the police. "He said he has an arsenal and he will not let the police take him," a family member wrote in the statement. "He will shoot until he is out of ammo and will then take his own life." Berrong said deputies met an hour and a half before they served the warrant to make a plan and "map out the area of the house" because Hickman was "a threat to law enforcement" and those living at his residence... "After he was shot, he fell in the ditch beside the road," Berrong said. "The officers went to his side and secured him with handcuffs to make sure he was not a threat anymore." Berrong said a loaded .380-caliber automatic handgun was found underneath Hickman's body. He said a total of 11 weapons were found in Hickman's residence, including nine long guns and two handguns... Berrong said they "feel for the victim's family," and at the same time, "we feel for the family of the sheriff's office"... According to a sheriff's office report, one of his family members reported that she was assaulted by Hickman on Saturday evening. The woman said Hickman, "became enraged for no apparent reason and grabbed her by the head with his hand and shoved her against the kitchen cabinets hitting her head." A witness said Hickman threatened to kill the woman during the alleged assault...

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Blount deputies shoot, kill man believed to be armed

WBIR TV
Robin Murdoch
2/25/2008

[Excerpts] The Blount County Sheriff says a Maryville man shot and killed by deputies had weapons in his home and made them aware he would not let police take him. Sunday evening, deputies went to serve 61-year old Leroy Hickman Junior a domestic assault warrant after an incident with his wife the night before. On that warrant was an attachment from the Magistrate warning officers to use extra caution... Deputies had information Hickman had a large cache of guns and that he would shoot until he was out of ammo... Investigators said an investigation will hopefully reveal whether Hickman wanted police to kill him... Hickman did not have any kind of criminal record. Neighbors say they never had a problem with him.... The Blount County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are investigating.

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Cops Killing Cops in Blount County

"A Rockford police officer has been charged with a vehicular homicide in the death of a Knoxville man killed in a motorcycle crash on March 10, 2001. The charge against Sgt. James Ray 'J.R.' Johnson, 33, of Maryville, came in an indictment returned Aug. 28 by a Blount County Grand Jury sitting in special session. Laton was employed as a Corrections Officer at the Knox County Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Knoxville. Laton was divorced, but he had full custody of his three minor children. Soon after being notified of the indictment and the warrant for his arrest, Johnson surrendered to authorities at the Blount County Justice Center. Escorted by fellow Rockford police officer Bill Allen, Johnson entered the Justice Center through the sally port where people in custody are turned over to corrections officers. The accident report made at the scene by Tennessee Highway Patrol Officer Ronald McDonald, stated that Laton lost control of his 1997 Honda CR900 as he tried to pass Johnson's cruiser, hit the guardrail and skidded into Johnson's patrol car. McDonald said that two witnesses came forward two days after the accident and said Johnson swerved his cruiser into tile path of the motorcycle, sending it careening into tile guardrail. The witnesses are reportedly Tennessee state highway troopers. Since the accident, Johnson's friends claim he has been labeled as a 'motorcyclist hater,' although Johnson owns a motorcycle and has ridden for over a decade. In addition to the criminal charges, he is named as a defendant in a $3 million lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by Laton's ex-wife on behalf of her three minor children, ages 7, 8 and 9. Named in the same lawsuit are Rockford Police Chief Robert Simerly, City of Rockford, Blount County Sheriff James L. Berrong and Blount County. Johnson was released after posting a $25,000 surety bond. He awaits a 9 a.m., Sept. 10 appearance in Blount County Circuit Court."
—Teresa Helton-Garrett, Knoxville Journal, "Rockford police officer charged with vehicular homicide," September 6, 2001

"The former Rockford, Tennessee police officer who ran down a motorcyclist was found 'Not Guilty' of vehicular homicide by a Blount County Circuit Court jury on November 25. In September 2001, James R. Johnson was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly killing motorcyclist Philip Mickey Laton on March 10, 2001, by running the motorcyclist off the road with his patrol car. Johnson was patrolling old Knoxville Highway in the Rockford area when he received a radio report of a speeding motorcycle coming up behind him. Johnson told investigators that he then turned on his emergency lights in order to get the rider to slow down, but the motorcyclist lost control and hit a guard rail, and then slid into the police car. Later, a witness told police that the cruiser had swerved into the path of the approaching motorcycle, causing it to crash. A review of the videotape from the officer's patrol car confirmed the witness' account, and Johnson was charged in connection with Laton's death. But the jury took less than 30 minutes to return the not guilty verdict, apparently buying into the defense's argument that Laton's judgment and reactions were impaired by alcohol, although Laton's blood-alcohol level was under the legal limit. The Laton family has filed a $7 million civil lawsuit against Johnson, the Blount County Sheriff's Office and the now defunct Rockford Police Department. Due to other incidents, including another motorcyclist who suffered near-fatal injuries following a high-speed chase by another Rockford police officer along Old Knoxville Highway, and a woman who was killed when her car was hit by a Rockford police vehicle, the Rockford city commission voted to disband the city's four-member police department during an emergency meeting on June 5, 2002."
-BikerNet.com, "COP FOUND 'NOT GUILTY' IN BIKER'S DEATH" (NOTE THAT THE PATROL CAR IN-CAR VIDEO PROVED THAT EMERGENCY LIGHTS WERE NOT TURNED ON DURING THE INTENTIONAL RAMMING OF THE MURDERED COP, AND BLOOD ALCOHOL TESTS ARE NEVER VALID FOR DEAD BODIES UNLESS BLOOD IS TESTED DIRECTLY FROM THE HEART WHICH IS NEVER DONE)

Tennessee Auditors Arrive - 48 Blount Sheriff cars missing

RipOff Report: Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham and "pure un-adulterated evil" Lambert Hoard on PBA Board - BLOUNT COUNTY TN: THE CROOKEDEST LITTLE COUNTY IN THE SOUTH! DOWN WITH THE LAMBERT HOARD!

Bankrupt Blount County Govt employees get $75-Million annual salaries EACH

One-legged talk radio host, author and military intelligence officer William "Wild Bill" Cooper and his chained dog Crusher were gunned down by police state death squad, bogus warrant raid planned on 9/11/2001. The sheriff was later indicted and convicted of felonies, and the deputy who fired the fatal shots "killed himself" without witnesses. Cooper was named "The Most Dangerous Talk Radio Host in America" by President Bill Clinton, a/k/a William Jefferson Blythe III, bastard son of trillionaire kosher Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller.