THE U-T BASEBALL STAFF IN 20-17
AS
DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT.
HELTON'S ATTORNEY SENDING OUT A
STATEMENT SAYING QUOTE...
KNOX COUNTY'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY
GENERAL - TALKING ABOUT GANGS IN
OUR COMMUNITY - AND WHAT'S BEING
DONE ABOUT THEM.
LORI:
THIS COMES AS WE'RE LEARNING
ABOUT THE COUNTY GRAND JURY
RETURNING CHARGES
CONNECTED WITH A GANG... THE
SORT
OF CHARGES YOU MIGHT HEAR ABOUT
IN A MOB MOVIE.
WE OBTAINED COURT PAPERWORK
SHOWING A NUMBER OF CHARGES...
INCLUDING MURDER... AGAINST
SIDARIUS JACKSON...
CLAIMING HE'S A MEMBER OF A GANG
KNOWN AS THE TREE TOP
PIRU BLOODS... AND CLAIMING HE
VIOLATED THE RICO ACT.
KRISTIN:
RICO STANDS FOR THE RACKETEER
INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT
ORGANIZATIONS ACT... A LAW
ALLOWING SPECIAL CHARGES AND
LEGAL TECHNIQUES IN PROSECUTING
ORGANIZED CRIME.
THE PRESENTMENT CLAIMS THAT
JACKSON AND OTHERS CONSPIRED TO
SELL COCAINE IN A DRUG FREE ZONE
AND USED GUNS IN THE PROCESS.
LORI:
THE D-A'S OFFICE CAN'T TALK
ABOUT
THIS CASE RIGHT NOW... BUT
THEY
DID GIVE WATE 6 ON YOUR SIDE
REPORTER GABRIELLA PAGAN
THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH D-A
CHARME ALLEN.
NEW AT SIX...
SHE SHARES WHAT THE SCOPE OF THE
GANG PRESENCE IS IN OUR AREA AND
WHAT'S BEING DONE ABOUT IT.
<CHARME ALLEN/ KNOX CO. DISTRICT
ATTORNEY GENERAL
:59 "YES, WE HAVE GANGS IN
KNOXVILLE. WE HAVE OVER 30
IDENTIFIED GANGS IN KNOXVILLE
AND
IN THOSE GANGS WE HAVE OVER
1,500 GANG MEMBERS, WE HAVE
ADULT GANG MEMBERS AS WELL AS
JUVENILE GANG MEMBERS. ALLEN
SAYS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, EVERY
SINGLE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL AND
THE
MAJORITY OF PUBLIC MIDDLE
SCHOOLS IN KNOX COUNTY HAS AN
LANGUAGES, OFTEN TIMES BLOODS
WILL
USE A CERTAIN TYPE OF ALPHABET
WHERE THEY DON'T USE THE LETTER
C'
OUT OF A DISRESPECT BECAUSE OF
THE CRIPS - THE CRIPS
DO THE SAME WITH THE LETTER B'
FOR
BLOODS. THEY HAVE COLORS THEY
THROW GANG SIGNS, THEY OFTEN
HAVE TATTOOS AND MANY TIMES GANG
MEMBERS ARE VERY BOASTFUL OF
BEING IN A GANG. THEY'RE PROUD
THAT THEY'RE IN THE GANG AND
THEY WILL JUST CONFESS AND TELL
US." THE MAJORITY OF GANG
MEMBERS ARE IN THE CITY OF
KNOXVILLE - WHICH IS WHY ALLEN
PRIORITIZED CREATING THE CAREER
GANG UNIT. 3:43 "WE HAVE FOUR
FULL TIME ATTORNEYS IN THAT UNIT
THAT DO NOTHING BUT PROSECUTE
GANGS ACROSS OUR COUNTRY DO."
THE ORGANIZED GROUPS PROFIT
FROM CRIMINAL ACTIVITY -
PREDOMINANTLY GUNS AND DRUGS...
FOLLOWED BY HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
9:32 "THE LEADERS OF THE GANG
WILL
HAVE YOUNGER KIDS BETWEEN THE
AGES OF 18-21 GO ACTUALLY BUY
HAND GUNS LEGALLY - KIDS WHO
DON'T HAVE A RECORD YET - AND
THEY WILL HAVE THE HANDGUNS THAT
THE GANGS ARE THEN USING."
CRIMES IN THE COMMUNITY. 10:15
"WE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
HAVE TO RELY ON WITNESSES IN THE
COMMUNITY - WE HAVE TO HAVE
WITNESSES COME FORWARD AND HELP
US WITH THE PROSECUTIONS AND
WHEN WITNESSES DO STAND UP TO
THE GANGS, WHEN COMMUNITY
MEMBERS STAND UP -- THEN WE ARE
SUCCESSFUL WE CAN TAKE THOSE
GANG MEMBERS AND TAKE THEM OFF
THE STREETS AND MAKE THEM SAFER
FOR EVERYONE."
KRISTIN:
GABBY JOINS US NOW IN THE
STUDIO... TELL US MORE ABOUT
YOUR CONVERSATION.
GABBY:
TER SITTING DOWN WITH CHARME
LEN AND HEARING H LK
ECIFICALLY AUH YNG
CHILDREN ARE BEING RECRUITED
TO JNHESE GANGS I ASKED --
AT CAN WE AS EVERYY PEOPLE
DO TO HELP COMBAT THIS??
PREVENTION. INVEST IN THE LIFE
OF A CHILD.
TOO OFTEN THE YOUNGEST OF GANG
MEMBERS WHO GET
CONVICTION TODAY AGAINST AN
ALLEGED GANG MEMBER.
LORI;
PROSECUTORS.. GETTING
CONVICTIONS AGAINST CHARLES
GRIFFIN.. A CRIPS GANG MEMBER
WHO
PISTOL WHIPPED A DOLLAR GENERAL
EMPLOYEE WITH A HANDGUN DURING A
ROBBERY..
GRIFFIN WAS CONVICTED OF
ESPECIALLY AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
AND UNLAWFUL
POSSESSION OF A WEAPON
WE'VE SHOWN YOU THIS
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO BEFORE... IN
JUNE OF 2017...
GRIFFIN ENTERED THE DOLLAR
GENERAL ON MCCALLA AVENUE
SHOWED A HANDGUN... DEMANDING
MONEY. WHILE THE CLERK
WAS ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE CASH
DRAWER, GRIFFIN HIT THE VICTIM
NUMEROUS TIMES WITH THE PISTOL
BEFORE LEAVING WITH THE ENTIRE
CASH DRAWER.
KRISTIN:
THE VICTIM WAS TAKEN TO THE
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
MEDICAL CENTER WHERE HE
UNDERWENT FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION
SURGERY FOR THE INJURIES HE
SUSTAINED
GREENEVILLE POLICE SENDING OUT A
CALL FOR PUBLIC HELP IN