Matthew Goins dump truck saga is latest event for career criminal

From an outstanding warrant to evading police in a dump truck to an overdose, it was quite the day

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Matthew Goins recently added another chapter to his 16 year criminal history with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and Campbell County Justice System. Sheriff’s records indicate that it was in 2009 when Goins career as a criminal began, and it continues in 2025.

From DUI, to felony evading arrest to Meth charges to countless theft of property counts, Goins five pages of criminal history is most extensive. As a result, law enforcement officers are familiar with Goins, and that was the case when Campbell Sheriff’s Det. Sgt. Heatherly saw Goins working on a trailer near Powers Lane in La Follette. That was around 2:30pm on Wednesday.

Heatherly knew Goins had an outstanding warrant. Heatherly and Det. Sgt. Grant Cole made contact with Goins advising him he was under arrest for the warrant.

A glass jar containing a rock-like substance was allegedly found on Goins as the officers searched him. Goins allegedly admitted it was heroin.

Goins asked if he could put his tools away, and move the forklift and dump truck he was using. The officers allowed Goins to do that. The moving of the tools and forklift went well.

Once behind the wheel of the dump truck, Goins allegedly did not do what he said he would do. He made a U-turn and headed to Old Jacksboro Pike in an effort to keep from being arrested.

In the meantime, Deputy Caleb McClurg arrived to transport Goins to jail. McClurg, Heatherly and Cole pursued Goins. Goins turned off the pike driving through two steel gates and onto the Pyro Shows property traveling up a black top road, through a barbed wire fence and then into a wooded area.

Goins allegedly attempt to evade officers continued through a field, down a driveway onto Gibson Lane. The dump truck Goins was driving continued across the railroad tracks and down Gibson Lane. Goins brought the truck to a stop in a chain-link fence where Gibson Lane meets Old Jacksboro Pike near Lyk-Nu Auto Collision and Service Center.

Goins jumped out of the dump truck and took off on foot headed toward Lyk-Nu with McClurg in pursuit. Goins did not obey the deputy’s commands prompting McClurg to deploy his TASAR followed by Goin’s arrest.

Sgt. Paul Harmon transported Goins to the Campbell County Jail. Upon arrival to the jail, Goins allegedly told the sergeant he had allegedly eaten some Heroin that he’d had in his boot. Goins began showing signs of overdosing, and he was administered NARCAN. Goins was transported to the La Follette Medical Center.

Goins, 38, 760 Landmark Road, Jacksboro, was charged with driving without a valid driver’s license, failure to provide proof of insurance, possession of a controlled substance-schedule I, vandalism, driving with expired registration, evading arrest, tampering with or fabricating evidence, a capias and resist stop-frisk-halt-arrest-search.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 12/15/2025-6AM)