East Knoxville Residence Closed as Public Nuisance

Prosecutors and investigators on the Drug Related Death Task Force have closed a residence in East Knoxville that has been a hub of drug trafficking and criminal activity. 2835 Nichols Avenue was closed today by order of Judge Kyle Hixson under the state nuisance law.

According to a petition filed by DA Charme Allen, the residence has been the scene of forty-four calls for service within the past three years. Those calls not only include information related to drug trafficking but also calls regarding the violence that surrounds the drug trade, including calls related to burglaries, robberies, and assaults. In addition to these calls for service, KPD has conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hattie Brown and George Hammontree from within 2835 Nichols Avenue. Additionally, physical and electronic surveillance show vehicle and foot traffic at 2835 Nichols Avenue, consistent with drug trafficking, with as many as forty vehicles or individuals per day arriving at the residence, entering the residence for only a brief period of time, and then leaving. Officers have observed subjects walk from the residence to the street and openly kneel on the side of the roadway and inject illegal narcotics in front of the residence. Officers have observed on multiple occasions male subjects urinate in the roadway in front of the residence. Neighbors do not feel safe because of the criminal activity occurring at this residence. In short, the residence operates as a haven for criminal activity, is known in the area as such, and is a continued threat to this community.

This nuisance injunction marks the sixtieth 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.