By Jim Beller

CHURCH HILL — Charges of impersonating police officers have been dropped against two Federal Communications Commission employees for allegedly claiming to be Meth Task Force agents two months ago.

Around 11 p.m. on June 10, Church Hill Police Officer Danny Depew observed a maroon SUV with Alabama plates traveling east on Main Boulevard with no headlights on, according to the offense report he filed last Friday.

“I observed the vehicle pull into Jamie’s Transport and turn around and begin to travel west on Main without any headlights on again,” Depew stated in his report. “I stopped the vehicle near Best Way Mini Storage on East Main.”

The two men — whose identities are blacked out with a magic marker in the offense report — responded “no” when Depew asked them if they were lost, the report states.

“Both males stated they were State Meth Task Force Agents,” Depew said, adding neither could produce identification to that effect. The driver provided a Georgia drivers license.

“During the stop, Mount Carmel Fire Chief Chris Jones arrived in a red Chevrolet sedan and witnessed both claim to be meth agents,” Depew stated.

Based on the voucher, Depew let the men go without charging the driver for violating the light law.

About an hour later, Depew met up with fellow CHPD Officer Chip Whitaker, and the two discussed the incident. “We began to suspect the possibility of both parties impersonating police officers due to the lack of law enforcement ID,” Depew said.  “We spotted and stopped the suspect vehicle in Food City parking lot a short time later,” Depew continued. “I again asked both parties for law enforcement ID and why they were here. Both again stated they were Meth Task Force Agents.”

“MCVFD Chief Chris Jones again arrived on scene and verified both parties were State Task Force Agents currently working with him and undercover Tennessee Bureau of Investigations agents,” Depew said. “I again released the supsects.”

 Church Hill Police Chief Mark Johnson released a statement Thursday about the matter.

“Days after the ‘meth agent’ incident occurred in June, I was contacted by TBI personnel and told that top TBI brass were hot over the issue and would be pushing for punitive actions against all four people involved in the impersonation scam,” Johnson said. “We were asked to provide tapes and paperwork to the TBI to assist in their investigation. I was told there would be a high level meeting involving us, the TBI and the District Attorney,” he said.

Local officials learned the men were not meth agents or law enforcement officials, but “civilian FCC employees who were in the area working on radio complaints.” Reportedly, the complaints stem from unknown person or persons interrupting, or “keying over,” radio transmissions between Mount Carmel police and Hawkins County Central Dispatch.

“Last week, I was advised that no charges would be filed against the two law enforcement personnel involved. So, last week we picked back up on our investigation of the two civilians,” Johnson said.

“However, today I spoke directly with a TBI representative in Nashville. I learned that the fourth person involved, as a co-conspirator, has been relieved of his duties. I was also told that the TBI’s current position — two months after the fact — is to let the case die,” Johnson said.  “If they (FCC civilians) had claimed to be CHPD officers, we would push harder for charges but since they claimed to be working with TBI drug agents and the TBI has taken its current stance, I have decided to void our warrants on the two civilians involved.”