Monthly Archives: December 2014

Four Charged with Selling Alcohol to Underage Police Informant Last Night; Tonight: extra officers on duty to detect, arrest drunk drivers

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In a special operation last night by Franklin Police, Flex Unit Officers used an under-21 informant to check 12 locations to ensure that Franklin businesses are doing their part to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. Of 12 businesses checked, four sold to a minor:

No ID? No Sale! (1) Daily’s at 222 Highway 96 West

(2) Exxon at 449 Cool Springs Boulevard

(3) Holiday Wine and Spirits at 112 N. Royal Oaks Boulevard

(4) Mapco located at 1501 Murfreesboro Road

The Daily’s and Exxon have been identified as repeat offenders, cited for selling to minors on 08/22/2014. If convicted, all of the employees charged face a fine and up to 11 months and 29 days in jail. The business owners now face civil fines and penalties by the City of Franklin.

Businesses who sell or serve alcohol have an obligation to be sure that the customers they are serving are 21 or older. Chief Deborah Faulkner said, “We want to be sure that those who sell or serve alcohol are taking their responsibility to keep it out of the hands of minors as seriously as we do.” Integrity checks by police, like last night’s, will continue.

Anyone with information about the underage sale or use of alcohol can submit a tip by visiting FranklinPDnews.com and clicking Submit an Anonymous Tip.

Franklin Police are putting extra officers on the street tonight with one goal:
detecting and arresting impaired drivers.

Beer, Keys and Handcuffs - Drunk Driving Concept

You drink, you drive, you lose
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Semi Fire Impacts I65 Traffic at McEwen Drive; Cause under investigation

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IMG_20141228_175420At 4:02pm, emergency responders were dispatched to I65 South, under the McEwen overpass, for a semi-tractor fully engulfed in fire. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire as police officers diverted traffic away from I65 and McEwen Drive.

Fire officials say that the truck’s driver was traveling south on I65 when the cab of his semi began filling with smoke. As he was pulling over, the truck lost power and came to rest directly under the McEwen Drive overpass before bursting into flames. The driver was not injured in the fire, but was transported to an area hospital after experiencing a possible medical emergency at the scene. The Franklin Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire.

I65 North and the two left southbound lanes opened a short time after the fire was extinguished. The overpass was opened a short time ago after TDOT inspectors rendered it safe.

Chronological updates and photos from the scene are available on Twitter (@FranklinTNPD). This is the only formal news release that the FPD intends to post. Traffic updates regarding this incident will continue via www.twitter.com/FranklinTNPD.

The Franklin Fire Department may release additional information regarding the fire and their investigation, as it becomes available.

Fraud case last year will yield good Christmas for needy families

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Christmas Gifts for BridgesChristmas Gifts 2In 2013, Franklin Police recovered more than $23,000 in stolen items during the Flex Unit’s “Not in Our Mall” operation at the CoolSprings Galleria. The items seen here were the fruits of an elaborate credit card fraud case cracked by police last year.

The court ordered that the suspects pay restitution to the credit card companies that they defrauded, and awarded the recovered property to the Franklin Police Department. The Department will donate all of it to Bridges Domestic Violence Center, today at 4:00pm.

“It is the hope of the members of the Franklin Police Department that these items bring joy to family members who are displaced and experiencing great pain due to domestic violence,” said Franklin Police Chief Deborah Faulkner. “I cannot think of a better use of these seized items than for them to end up in the hands of the children staying at Bridges.”

Media wishing to cover the donation event should contact Officer ryan.schuman@franklintn.gov and be at Headquarters today at 3:45.

Felon on parole wanted by Franklin Police for Aggravated Assault; Cash in with Crime Stoppers: (615) 794-4000

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W A N T E D Nicholas A. Moore Date of Birth: 03/01/1986

W A N T E D
Nicholas A. Moore
Date of Birth: 03/01/1986

Franklin Police are seeking the whereabouts of a Tennessee parolee who badly injured a man in a barroom brawl Wednesday. Officers were summoned to Dan McGuiness, 9200 Carothers Parkway, at 2am after 28-year-old Nicholas Moore beat a man with a pool stick. The victim suffered significant facial injuries, and Moore fled before officers arrived. He remains at large.

Moore, a convicted felon on parole, is now wanted by Franklin Police for Aggravated Assault – a felony offense, and violating his parole. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 with a call to Crime Stoppers: (615) 794-4000.

Franklin Man Charged with Spitting on Police Officer During His Arrest

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Orlando C. Buchanan Date of Birth: 05/06/1983 100 Reveille Court Franklin, TN 37064

Orlando C. Buchanan
Date of Birth: 05/06/1983
100 Reveille Court Franklin, TN 37064

Saturday morning at 3:30 am, officers responded to the 100 block of Spring Street after a resident there complained about a man creating a disturbance outside. When officers arrived, they found the suspect, Orlando Buchanan, standing outdoors and obviously intoxicated. Officers determined that Buchanan had been recently banned from the property, and placed him under arrest for Criminal Trespass. Buchanan resisted and threatened the police officer who was arresting him. While en route to the jail, Buchanan intentionally spit on the neck of the police officer who was driving him to jail.

Buchanan, charged with Assault, Trespassing, Public Intoxication, and Resisting remains jailed on a $10,000 bond. He is due in court 12/18/2014 at 1:00 pm.

 

Police Identify Remains of Murder Victim Found Outside Franklin’s Avalon Subdivision Last Week

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DNA testing confirms that the remains found in the brush outside of the Avalon Subdivision last week are Sara Martinez. Sara was murdered in 2009, but her body was never found.

“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the Martinez family,” said Franklin Police Chief Deborah Faulkner. “That brush was her grave for more than five years; that never should have been the case. Now her family can give Sara the dignity of a proper burial that honors her memory.”

Previous FPD releases regarding this case:
Initial Release

Update-1

Update-2

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s release regarding their case, linked to this discovery in Franklin, is posted below:

DNA testing confirms that human remains discovered in Franklin’s Avalon subdivision last week are those of Nashvillian Sara Martinez, who is believed to have been murdered more than five years ago.

Martinez, 20, was last seen on March 9, 2009, at Nashville’s Club Guadalajara on Old Hickory Boulevard. She was reported missing by a friend six days later.

An investigation led by now retired MNPD homicide detective Hugh Coleman in 2009 led to the development of Jose Morano as Martinez’s suspected killer. The Toyota Corolla Morano was known to drive was recovered abandoned on March 24, 2009, on Allied Drive off Nolensville Pike. There was a significant amount of blood on the front passenger seat, which DNA testing confirmed to be that of Sara Martinez. Morano, a native of Honduras, was last seen at his Nashville apartment complex on March 9, 2009. He never returned for his belongings.

An arrest warrant charging Morano with Martinez’s murder was issued in August 2009. He was arrested on July 11, 2011, in Clinton, North Carolina, for a traffic offense. A check of his fingerprints revealed that he was wanted in Nashville.  Morano, now 32, was subsequently indicted on a charge of second-degree murder. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in June 2012 and was deported by the United States government.

Last week’s detailed on-scene investigation and evidence collection by Franklin Police contributed greatly to the ultimate identification of Sara Martinez’s remains.

Fraternal Order of Police to Spend $30k on Local Kids at “Shop With a Cop,” Tomorrow in Franklin

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12-12-2014 3-55-02 PMTomorrow morning, members of law enforcement agencies from across Williamson County will work together to make Christmas for underprivileged local families a little brighter. The Morris Heithcock Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #41, in Franklin, will hold their annual Shop with a Cop event at the Franklin Walmart from 7-9am. Pre-screened families have been selected to do their Christmas shopping with local police officers who will spend more than $30,000 donated by local residents and businesses.

“This is a special opportunity for police officers to work with Williamson County residents who happen to be down on their luck this year,” said Lodge President and Franklin Police Detective Andy Green. “This is possible only through the generosity of private donors, and a very caring group of men and women who wear a badge. For us to get to do this is such blessing.”

Media interested in covering this event is approved, by Walmart, to be on the property and inside of the store located at 3600 Mallory Lane, Franklin, TN, tomorrow morning.

 

Woman Arrested for Altering Tag after Witness Reports Watching it Happen

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An attentive citizen picked up the phone and reported what they saw, and made a difference this week. At noon on Wednesday, Franklin Police received a call from someone who witnessed a woman in Cool Springs placing black electrical tape on her license plate, making the numbers and letters appear different than they actually were.

Teresa King Date of Birth: 02/28/1989 2110 Hermosa Street Nashville, TN 37208

Teresa King
Date of Birth: 02/28/1989
2110 Hermosa Street
Nashville, TN 37208

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Officers located the car in the Target parking lot and arrested 25-year-old Teresa King of Nashville. King, charged with Altering/Forgery of Plates and Driving on a Revoked License is free on a $4,000 bond.

It is not uncommon, in general, for suspects who have committed or are about to commit a crime to disguise or remove their license plate. Altering a license plate is a Class E Felony. Franklin Police commend the witness who reported this crime, and encourage residents who witness criminal or suspicious activity to contact police.

Franklin Police
We can make a difference, together
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Alert Neighbors Credited with Helping Police Nab Auto Burglar

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Luke A. Barrett Date of Birth: 09/24/1994 649 Pembroake Lane Franklin, TN 37064

Luke A. Barrett
Date of Birth: 09/24/1994
649 Pembroake Lane
Franklin, TN 37064

At 1:05 Tuesday morning, officers responded to the Cheswicke Farms Subdivision, after several residents there reported a prowler looking into car windows and entering unlocked cars. Horn honking caused by car alarms rousted neighbors and caused them to look outside. With the help of those neighbors, Franklin Police caught up with the suspect on Logans Circle. Twenty-year-old Luke Barrett, of Franklin, was arrested and charged with Auto Burglary, Drug Possession, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Barrett is free after posting a $10,500 bond; he is due in court 12/18/2014 at 1:00 pm.

Franklin Police credit alert citizens, unafraid to get involved, with Barrett’s quick arrest. Police urge residents to lock their car doors – even when parking in their own driveways.

Franklin Police Leader Celebrates 30-Year Career; Lieutenant Richard Verbosky to be Honored at Retirement Reception, Friday

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VerboskyFranklin, TN – After 30 years of service to the community, Franklin Police Lieutenant Richard Verbosky is retiring. Lt. Verbosky, who began his career in 1984, recalled the Franklin Police Station occupying the first floor of a two-story house on Main Street near 5-Points. “The Police Department was downstairs and the Fire Department was upstairs in this house,” Verbosky said. “We used a card table in a small room for our briefings. It’s surreal to end my career in the beautiful, state-of-the-art Headquarters that we’re in today.”

Lt. Verbosky, an avid equestrian, graduated from Father Ryan High School in 1968. Prior to joining the Franklin Police Department, he served in the United States Army as a Tank Commander in the Vietnam Era. In addition to Vietnam, he has served in the United States and Germany.

Lt. Verbosky’s assignments prior to being promoted to Lieutenant in 1996 include Patrol, SWAT, Field Training Officer, Field Training Officer Instructor and Sergeant, and Sergeant over the Police Auxiliary. Today, Lt. Verbosky oversees the Patrol Division’s Bravo Shift (6am-4pm), SWAT, the K9, Traffic, and Flex Units, the Dive Team, and Mounted Patrol. Since re-introducing horseback patrol by Franklin Police in 2009, Lt. Verbosky has organized two mounted patrol training classes that drew mounted police officers from across the U.S. to Franklin. Lt. Verbosky is a member of the local chapters of the VFW and Elks.

“What we’ve accomplished, together through the years, is pretty vast,” Lt. Verbosky said. “My ties to the community are strong, and everlasting. People in Franklin and Williamson County have been so supportive of me – both professionally and personally. I will always be grateful for that, and I’ll continue to seek opportunities to pay all of that support forward. On a personal note, I have been so supported by my wife, Donna, for the past 26 years that we’ve been married – all in a profession that’s been extremely demanding of my time and energy. I’m thankful for the sacrifices that she has made to allow me to serve this community. Now, I look forward to returning that loyalty by serving only her.”

Chief Deborah Faulkner called Lt. Verbosky a shining example of what both leadership and public service look like. “Though we have had only a short time together as colleagues – as a Franklin resident, I have watched and smiled at Lt. Verbosky’s community contributions for years. His service here is greatly appreciated and valued!”

Lt. Verbosky will be honored at a reception at Franklin Police Headquarters, Friday from 2-4pm, where friends, family, and the public are welcome.

 Franklin Police Department
Professional, Progressive, Responsive
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