Father Convicted after Child Overdoses

DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the Child Abuse Unit obtained convictions against a man whose fifteen-month-old child nearly died of a drug overdose on the fentanyl he was using to get high.  Jeffery Michael Thompson, 36, was convicted of Aggravated Child Neglect and Aggravated Child Endangerment.  Judge Scott Green set the case for sentencing on October 31 where Thompson faces between fifteen and twenty-five years in prison.

In a three-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys Ashley McDermott and Teddy Ryan explained to the jury that on October 13, 2021, first responders answered a call at a residence off Rutledge Pike.  At the scene, EMS found Thompson’s fifteen-month-old child suffering from a drug overdose.  The child was limp, unresponsive, and turning blue.  Paramedics tried to resuscitate the child for nearly an hour.  After a second dose of naloxone was administered, the child began breathing on her own.  Thompson admitted to daily use of what he believed to be heroin and stated that the child became “wobbly” and unresponsive right after his last use.

“This child is alive and doing well today thanks to the hard work of the first responders who undoubtedly saved her life,” said DA Allen.

Aggravated Child Neglect and Aggravated Child Endangerment are both Class A felonies that carry a punishment between fifteen and twenty-five years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.  Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Leah Graves aided in the prosecution of this case.

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.