LAFOLLETTE, TN. (WLAF)- On Saturday around noon LaFollette Police Officer Anthony Mahar answered a 911 call about a man stealing money out of a vehicle. The caller reported the man had stolen money out of his vehicle, got into a black Ford Fusion and left. The victim followed the vehicle and when the Ford pulled over so did the victim.

At this point a man identified as Billy Joe Durham got out of the vehicle and allegedly told the victim he wasn’t getting any of his money back and got in the vehicle to leave. According to report from the LaFollette Police Department, the victim yelled he was going to call the police and the driver of the vehicle, identified as Greg Ridenour, allegedly grabbed a machete and started shaking it out the window. His next move was to yell at the victim while threatening him with a string of obscenities and drive off.

Mahar did find the vehicle. Durham sitting in the right rear seat of the vehicle. A witness was sitting in the right front seat and Ridenour was driving the vehicle. Mahar asked them what happened. Durham and Ridenour denied any knowledge about the victim’s allegations. Ridenour was asked about a knife and he allegedly said there might be a machete in the vehicle. LaFollette Police Officer Loyd found a machete in the vehicle that matched the description the victim gave. While Mahar was looking in the back seat area where Durham was sitting, he found $60 in the storage pouch of the front seat, rolled up in the money was a syringe.

Ridenour, 62, 584 Laurel Branch Rd, LaFollette is charged with aggravated assault.

Durham, 48, homeless, LaFollette is charged with theft of property under $999 and possession of drug paraphernalia.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 6/19/2024- 6AM)

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