Drug Den Closed after Multiple Overdoses
Prosecutors and investigators on the Drug Related Death Task Force have closed a residence that is a haven for drug use and drug distribution and that has been the scene of two overdoses. 919 Virginia Avenue was closed today by order of Judge Bob McGee under the state nuisance law.
According to a petition filed by General Allen, an individual overdosed at the residence but was revived by first responders last March. Another individual overdosed at the residence in May and survived. Both admitted using drugs inside the house. The Knoxville Police Department and DA’s Office continued to receive citizen complaints about drug activity at the residence. In December, officers responded to a kidnapping call at the house and discovered a large amount of methamphetamine, LSD, ecstacy, marijuana, handguns, a shotgun, body armor, a security camera system, and drug paraphernalia. In short, this location is a dangerous mix of convicted felons, guns, and drugs.
The Drug Related Death Task Force is a multi-agency investigation and prosecution team that examines overdoses that occur in this jurisdiction as a means to combat the opiate epidemic. Founded last year under the direction of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA), the task force consists of prosecutors and coordinators from the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, investigators from the Knoxville Police Department, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, medical examiners and investigators from the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, and intelligence analysts from AHIDTA. The goal of the task force is to decrease overdoses by holding drug dealers accountable when their drug trafficking leads to overdose deaths and by gaining intelligence about the opiate epidemic that can be used by member agencies and others to fight this ever-increasing problem.
This nuisance injunction marks the fifty-second closure by the District Attorney’s Office and Knoxville Police Department in their ongoing collaboration to make neighborhoods safer from the activities that affect the safety and quality of life of residents in this community.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.