Dyersburg, Tenn.–During the just-ended Easter holiday weekend, Dyersburg Police responded to 188 calls for service, several of which involved crowds of disorderly people which put officers at risk. In one incident, an officer was kicked multiple times. In another incident, a 76-year-old woman was arrested for aggravated assault.
Chief Steve Isbell said, “Those calls included several disturbances involving multiple people, an aggravated robbery involving shots fired, an individual charged with aggravated assault on officers involving a knife, and a disturbance involving an estimated 40 individuals resulting in multiple individuals sprayed with police issued chemical agent.”
Isbell added, “The holiday weekend was active, and our officers were put in unnecessary situations multiple times having to deal with crowds of disorderly individuals in various parts of our city. It is troubling in any situation when a crowd of 40 individuals would become so hostile toward law enforcement, resulting in one officer being kicked multiple times, and the use of chemical agent to gain control of the situation. We have footage from multiple officer body cameras of the crowd that will be reviewed for possible additional individuals being charged.”
A rundown of the incidents:
–April 11, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Dyersburg Police officers were dispatched to Wilson Circle, in reference to a disturbance. Officers encountered approximately 40 individuals. While investigating, officers determined a fight had occurred between a few people, and were trying to disperse the crowd and de-escalate the situation. Officers attempted to arrest the individuals identified in the fight, when many in the crowd began to circle the officers with threatening behavior. Officers report that they were in imminent danger of harm due to the size of the crowd, and their threatening behavior towards officers. Chemical agent was deployed upon the crowd by officers, with one officer being kicked multiple times during the arrest.
Rochelle Byars, age 38, 1120 Tucker Circle, Dyersburg, and a 15-year-old Dyersburg juvenile are charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and resisting stop, frisk, halt and search. Byars was transported to the Dyer County Jail, and the juvenile was cited and released to a guardian pending Juvenile Court.
–April 11, at approximately 1:20 a.m., Dyersburg Police officers were on a traffic stop on Roberts Street, when an officer providing backup observed an individual not involved in the initial traffic stop, run towards the officers with a large knife. Officers drew their service weapons and gave commands for the person to stop and drop the knife. Refusing to comply and still running towards the officers, one officer quickly transitioned to a less lethal option by deploying his taser, which stopped the threat. The person was identified as Clara McElrath, age 76, 505 Roberts, Dyersburg. McElrath is charged with aggravated assault, and was transported to the Dyer County Jail pending court action.
–April 13, at approximately 5:44 a.m., Dyersburg Police officers were dispatched to shots fired around the Hawthorne Avenue area, and given a description of a vehicle leaving the area. An officer reporting to work that was near the area responded directly to the area and observed the vehicle. Upon making a traffic stop, it was determined that the occupant of the vehicle was attempting to locate the person who had just robbed his brother. Officers checking the area on foot located the suspect, Semaj Lee, age 22, 208 East 13th Street, Caruthersville, MO, walking in the area. Lee was taken into custody without incident. The victim reported that he was robbed at gun point by Lee. The victim reports that Lee approached him, and demanded money firing one shot from a gun. Lee is charged with aggravated robbery. He is being held in the Dyer County Jail pending court. It was later determined that a residence had been struck by gunfire, no injuries were reported.