LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – LaFollette Police Officer Zack Daugherty was leaving the area near Hollingsworth’s Meat Market last Tuesday (Sep. 12) around 6pm when he noticed a 2023 Silver Jeep driving away from the same area. He noticed that the driver of the vehicle was wearing a white t-shirt and he could not visibly see a seatbelt across the driver’s chest. The vehicle turned onto East Fir Street and then left onto South 6th Street.  Daugherty saw the vehicle drive left of the center of the roadway and continue to drive in that configuration despite there being no obstacles on the road that would keep the driver from keeping his vehicle to the right of the roadway.

The vehicle then made another left turn placing the vehicle back in the area it was originally observed. According to a report from the LaFollette Police Department this made the officer believe the driver was making evasive movements from him. Daughtery initiated his emergency equipment and stopped the Jeep. When he made contact with the driver, identified as Jalen Donald McMillan, Officer Daughterty did not see a seatbelt across his chest.

Daughterty explained the reason for the stop to McMillan and noticed he was acting nervously. McMillan allegedly told Daugherty that he was looking for a car dealership to look at a vehicle. The navigation system was pulled up on the media screen which should have taken McMillan to the dealership he was allegedly looking for, prompting Daughterty to further investigate the matter. Officer Daughterty notes in the report that he observed a strong odor of Marijuana coming from the vehicle and asked McMillan if there was any Marijuana in the vehicle to which he stated no. McMillan was asked to step out of the Jeep. Daugherty searched the vehicle but was unable to locate any illegal substances. Daugherty deployed K-9 Goose to perform an open air sniff of the vehicle in attempt to gauge whether there were any other illegal substances in the Jeep beside Marijuana. K-9 Goose gave a positive alert with a final alert on the rear passenger side door.

McMillan was told that K-9 Goose alerted on the vehicle. McMillan denied having any substance on his person and also denied that there was ever any substances inside his vehicle. A search of McMillan revealed a large bag containing a brownish powder substance believed to be Heroin.

McMillan, 27, 228 Douglas Avenue, Knoxville was charged with the manufacture-delivery-sell of a schedule I controlled substance, failure to maintain lane and the seatbelt law. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/21/2023-6AM)

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