LAFOLLETTE, TN. (WLAF)- A LaFollette woman with eight arrests in the last year is scheduled to appear in criminal court this morning for her latest round of alleged crimes.

Courtney Rutherford’s arrests began Aug. 26, 2022.

At that time, Rutherford was arrested by the LaFollette Police Department for public intoxication, indecent exposure and resisting stop frisk halt. LaFollette Police Sgt. Homer Herrell saw a woman running on North Tennessee Ave. allegedly without any clothes on waving her arms over her head like she was trying to wave the officer down. When Herrell stopped to check on her, she continued to run. Despite being told several times to stop running, Rutherford continued to run, the report said. Herrell soon began a foot pursuit that lasted about 50 yards before he grabbed Rutherford’s arm and attempted to put her in handcuffs, the report said. She kept jerking her arms away and saying “get off me demons.” Herrell was finally able to handcuff Rutherford and transport her to the Campbell County Jail.

Rutherford was arrested twice on June 9 over about a six hour span of time, and she was charged with criminal trespassing, aggravated burglary and vandalism over $1,000.

Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Grace Cross was dispatched to a home on Clear Lake Drive, Jacksboro, around 1:30 pm that day. The caller reported a female who had entered the residence the week before was now back on her porch.

When Cross arrived at the home, she was met by the homeowner who reported the week prior a woman, identified as Courtney Rutherford, had come to her home and knocked on the front door. She then went to the back of the home and allegedly entered through the back door. She called 911, and Deputies Franklin Ayers and Corey Laxton responded and removed Rutherford from the property.

The homeowner told Deputy Cross she and her husband were inside the home when they heard someone on their front porch, and when she checked, she found Rutherford sitting on her porch asking to charge her phone, the report said. After the couple told Rutherford to leave, they called 911, according to a report from the sheriff’s office.

Cross and Sgt. Tosha Owens made contact with Rutherford at 512 Poplar Lane in an abandoned trailer. Rutherford allegedly told the officers she was friends with the homeowner and forgot she wasn’t supposed to be at the residence anymore.

Around 7 pm on June 9, Deputy Jason Shears was dispatched to 125 Poplar Lane about a female trespassing on the property. When Shears arrived, he made contact with Rutherford, who was inside the residence. While he was speaking with Rutherford, central dispatch advised via radio that they had made contact with the property owner who stated no one was to be at the residence, the report said.

The homeowner sent a relative to the home who evaluated damages to the residence and belongings. She estimated the damage to the residence and belongings to be over $1,000. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 7/31/2023)

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