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Kingsport Police Department
Dale Phipps, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 www.KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department• www.KingsportPDBlog.com |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | Osage Drive Homicide Investigation Underway by Kingsport Police (Update #2: Second Arrest) | ||
| DATE: | August 12, 2022 | ||
| CASE #: | 20-023986 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| Update #2: The November 15, 2020 homicide on Osage Drive in Kingsport has been under constant investigation by the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division since the date it occurred.
As previously released in May 2021, Detectives have already identified, charged, and arrested one suspect, Jonathan L. Smith, for his role in the death of Eduardo Oviedo-Velazco. Over the course of the continuing investigation, a second suspect, Lekendrick D. Malone, has also been identified. On July 13, 2022, additional facts of the case were presented to the Sullivan County Grand Jury, which returned a true bill of indictment, charging Mr. Malone with multiple felonies for his role in the death of Eduardo Oviedo-Velazco. A capias was subsequently issued for his arrest. Mr. Malone’s charges include: 1) First Degree Murder 2) Felony Murder 3) Attempted First Degree Murder 4) Aggravated Burglary On August 8, 2022, Mr. Malone was arrested in Knoxville, TN by the United States Marshals Service Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force. He was transported back to Sullivan County the following day, where he remains incarcerated in the Sullivan County Jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond. In addition to the above offenses, he is also facing Violation of Probation charges. The Kingsport Police Department wishes to thank the U.S. Marshals Service for helping bring this wanted fugitive to justice. This remains a very active and ongoing investigation with additional charges likely pending. As such, no further details can or will be released at this time. As previously released: Update: The November 15, 2020 homicide on Osage Drive in Kingsport has been under constant investigation by the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division since the date it occurred. On April 28, 2021, the facts of the case were presented to the Sullivan County Grand Jury which returned a true bill of indictment, charging Jonathan L. Smith with multiple felonies for his role in the death of Eduardo Oviedo-Velazco. A capias was subsequently issued for his arrest. Mr. Smith’s charges include: 1) First Degree Murder 2) Felony Murder 3) Attempted First Degree Murder 4) Aggravated Burglary On May 22, 2021, Mr. Smith was arrested on independent unrelated charges during a routine traffic stop by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office. Upon his release from HCSO custody, he was arrested by the Kingsport Police Department on the outstanding capias. He was transported to the Kingsport City Jail for processing, but has since been transported to the Sullivan County Jail in Blountville where he remains confined, awaiting arraignment, with no current eligibility for bond. As this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation with the possibility of additional charges pending, absolutely no additional details will be released at this time. As previously released: On November 15, 2020 at approximately 1:00 AM, Kingsport Police Patrol Officers responded to a reported shooting incident at a residence in the 1600 block of Osage Drive in Kingsport. Upon arrival, Officers located Eduardo Oviedo-Velazco (26 year old adult male) inside the residence, deceased as a result of what appeared to be a gunshot wound. K.P.D. Detectives responded to the scene, and a homicide investigation is currently underway. Based upon their findings thus far, this appears to be an isolated incident with no known immediate danger to the public at large. As this investigation remains active and ongoing, no further details are available for release at this time. Additional information will be released as it develops, but only at an appropriate point in the investigation. Anyone who has any information related to this incident which might be able to assist Detectives with their investigation is asked to contact the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division at 423-229-9429 or call Kingsport Central Dispatch at 423-246-9111. Alternatively, if an individual who is able to supply information related to this or any other case wishes not to be identified, tips can be submitted anonymously via online “Citizen Feedback” forms available at the following link: https://www.kingsporttn.gov/city-services/police-department/contact-us |
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| SUSPECT #1 INFORMATION | |
| Name | Jonathan L. Smith |
| Age | 28 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Male/Black |
| Residency | Kingsport, TN |
| Charge(s) | 1) First Degree Murder
2) Felony Murder 3) Attempted First Degree Murder 4) Aggravated Burglary |
| SUSPECT #2 INFORMATION | |
| Name | Lekendrick D. Malone |
| Age | 24 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Male/Black |
| Residency | Trenton, TN |
| Charge(s) | 1) First Degree Murder
2) Felony Murder 3) Attempted First Degree Murder 4) Aggravated Burglary 5) Also Facing Violation of Probation Charges |
| DECEDENT INFORMATION | |
| Name | Eduardo Oviedo-Velazco |
| Age | 26 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Male/Hispanic |
| Residency | Kingsport, TN |
| Injuries | Fatal Gunshot Wound |
| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
| Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) ThomasMPatton |
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This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
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Kingsport Police Department
Dale Phipps, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department• www.KingsportPDBlog.com |
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| NEWS RELEASE | ||||
| SUBJECT: | Multijurisdictional Motor Vehicle Theft and Auto Burglary Investigation Recovers over Half Million Dollars in Stolen Property, Identifies 8 Suspects (Nearly All Juveniles), Felony Charges Pending | |||
| DATE: | August 11, 2022 | |||
| CASE #: | Multiple | |||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | ||||
| Over the past month, the Kingsport Police Department Criminal Investigations Division has been investigating a series of coordinated motor vehicle thefts and auto burglaries occurring throughout the City of Kingsport and surrounding jurisdictions. From July 1, 2022 to the present, nearly 50 motor vehicle thefts and over 120 auto burglaries have been reported.
The massive scope of this investigation has necessitated a large-scale multi-jurisdictional cooperative effort, involving hundreds of man-hours, in partnership with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Johnson City Police Department, the Mount Carmel Police Department, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and other area law enforcement agencies. Detectives discovered that two rings of criminals, operating completely independent of one another, were responsible for the vast majority of these crimes. In all, eight total suspects have been identified, seven of whom are juveniles between the ages of 13 and 15. The sole adult suspect just turned 18 year of age. Extensive criminal charges are pending and will include such offenses as multiple counts of Motor Vehicle Theft, Auto Burglary, Vandalism, and Possession of Stolen Firearms. Just as significant, Investigators have cleared over 100 cases, and recovered over a half million dollars ($527,500) in stolen property, which includes 33 of the stolen vehicles and 5 of the stolen firearms. “While several agencies and individuals played significant roles in this investigation, I want to specifically recognize Detective Robbie Mills and Detective Jason Powers of the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division for their personal contributions to this case,” said K.P.D. Chief of Police Dale Phipps. “Their hard work and tireless dedication is noticed and appreciated.” It is extremely important to point out that every single vehicle that was stolen had been left unlocked, with the key either in the actual vehicle or easily accessible nearby. And every single vehicle that was burglarized was also unlocked. None of the vehicles were forcibly entered. The criminals did not use any specialized tools, skills, or high-tech gadgetry to access these vehicle. They simply opened unlocked doors. Not only was this obvious by the lack of any sign of forced entry, but it was also corroborated by statements made by the suspects, and confirmed by surveillance video footage. The suspects walked from vehicle to vehicle, lifting door handles. If the vehicle was locked, they walked away. If the vehicle was unlocked, they burglarized it. If the unlocked vehicle also had the key in it, they stole it. This common criminal technique of actively searching for, and only targeting, unlocked vehicles is known as “car hopping,” a term promulgated on social media and actually uttered by the suspects themselves during interviews with Detectives. As such, the Kingsport Police Department continues to stress the importance of utilizing simple, common-sense, crime prevention measures to help prevent these types of crimes from occurring. · Never leave your vehicle unlocked while unattended. · Never leave the key (or electronic key fob) inside your parked and unoccupied vehicle. · Never leave your car key (or electronic key fob) in an unsecure location. · Never leave your vehicle running unless you are actually in it. · Never leave items of real or perceived value in plain sight inside your vehicle. “By imploring citizens to practice these basic strategies, we are absolutely not blaming the victims of these crimes,” stressed K.P.D. Public Information Officer Tom Patton. “These crimes are the responsibility of the criminals and the criminals alone; however, it is incumbent upon all law abiding citizens to do their part in helping prevent these crimes of opportunity from happening, especially if it is something as simple as locking a door.” Due to the active nature of this investigation, the pending charges, and the involvement of juvenile suspects, no further details can or will be released at this time. |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
| Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX) ThomasMPatton |
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Carousel Park – the children’s playground located beside the Carousel Roundhouse – will be closed today and Friday (August 12) in order for crews to repair the rubberized surface of the play area.
The playground will reopen for normal hours on Saturday (August 13). The carousel will not be affected by this work and will be open during its normal hours and days.
Carousel Park (located at 350 Clinchfield Street) features unique playground equipment such as a crawl tunnel, tree house structure with slides, bridge and climbing wall, a web crawler and a music area with various instruments, such as congas, chimes and vibraphone. The park also includes a plaza space with picnic tables and landscaping.
For more information about local parks, please check out www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.
Kingsport’s Bicentennial celebration will take place at the Netherland Inn on Saturday, August 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The celebration is free and open to the public and will include re-enactors and storytellers, craft demonstrations, live music, a mock charter signing and historical documents on display. Visitors can also take a self-guided tour of the Inn’s grounds and take a photograph with an authentic stagecoach.
Kingsport celebrated its centennial in 2017 and now, just five years later, will celebrate its bicentennial. How is this possible?
It’s because Kingsport had two charters – the first one on August 21, 1822 and the second one on March, 2 1917.
Two-hundred years ago the Tennessee General Assembly passed an act to incorporate the town of Kingsport to include all of the lots from the east end of Ross’ Bridge to the fork of Reedy Creek Road. The charter was then amended in 1825 to expand the city limits west on West Sullivan Street and Fort Robinson Drive to the North Fork of the Holston River and downstream to the Rotherwood Bridge.
This town, commonly referred to as “Old Kingsport” to local students of history, is the area along the Holston River in the vicinity of Netherland Inn – the site where signatures were collected to petition for the original charter.
Kingsport lost its original charter in 1879 and was unincorporated until 1917, when the second charter was granted. Until 1963, the boundaries of new Kingsport did not include the Netherland Inn Road area.
For more information about the Netherland Inn and Kingsport’s Bicentennial Celebration, visit thenetherlandinn.com or https://bit.ly/3PdqWsF.
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Kingsport Police Department
Dale Phipps, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | K.P.D. Announces Fall 2022 Police Applicant Testing Session with Plans to Hire Several Officers | ||
| DATE: | August 10, 2022 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| The Kingsport Police Department has scheduled the next Police Applicant Testing Session for Tuesday, September 27, 2022 in anticipation of hiring several officers to fill any existing and upcoming vacancies. While K.P.D. now accepts applications year-round, in order to participate in this upcoming session, applications must be received by absolutely no later than Sunday, September 11, 2022. Any applications received after that date will be held until the next testing session.
Individuals who are interested in a rewarding career with a professional law enforcement agency are strongly encouraged to apply. All applicants must be a United States citizen and either already be at least 21 years of age or be turning 21 by no later than March 27, 2023. All applications must be submitted online using the following link: https://www.GovernmentJobs.com/Careers/Kingsport Following the September 11th deadline, all applicants will receive a confirmation email, as well as a letter by traditional mail, containing further instructions regarding the upcoming Police Applicant Testing procedures, as well as the exact date, time, and location that they are to report for testing. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A WRITTEN EXAMINATION AS PART OF THIS TESTING PROCESS. All applicants will begin the testing process with a physical agility evaluation. The physical agility evaluation will be administered on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. This session will be conducted at Domtar Park, located at 1414 Riverport Road in Kingsport. The physical agility evaluation will consist of a timed one-mile run and a timed roughly one-quarter-mile obstacle course designed to measure fitness, strength, agility, endurance, and perseverance as related to the duties of a Police Officer. Individuals must have an application on file and sign a waiver of liability in order to be eligible to participate. The applications of those candidates who successfully pass the physical agility evaluation will be reviewed for eligibility and suitability to move forward to the interview panel phase which will be conducted during the following week of October 3-7, 2022. General criteria to be considered for selection for an interview will be outlined in the confirmation email and letter each applicant will receive. Those applicants with the highest combined scores on the physical agility evaluation and interview panel will then be interviewed by the Chief of Police to determine the final selections. Those ultimately selected will also be subject to a medical examination, psychological evaluation, and a thorough background investigation prior to actual hiring. The current starting salary for Police Officer Trainee has recently been increased to $18.73 per hour or $38,962 annually. Applicants who are already certified law enforcement officers may be eligible for additional salary adjustments to compensate for prior experience if certain criteria are met. Academy training and all essential equipment including uniforms, firearms, body armor, and duty gear are provided by the department. K.P.D. also issues take-home police cruisers to officers meeting specific response-time requirements. City of Kingsport employee benefits include direct payroll deposit; paid vacation, holiday, and sick leave; employee life insurance; optional supplemental and dependent life insurance; long-term disability; health insurance; optional dental and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; education tuition and fitness membership reimbursements, Mission Square 401 retirement; and optional Mission Square 457 retirement. For additional information regarding the application process, please call the City of Kingsport Human Resources Department at 423-229-9401. For additional information regarding a law enforcement career at the Kingsport Police Department, please call the K.P.D. Professional Standards Unit at 423-229-9433. |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
| Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) ThomasMPatton |
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