Police find meth lab in pickup truck

November 8, 2005
Lebanon Police found a mobile crystal methamphetamine laboratory in the cargo area of a pickup truck late Monday morning after stopping the driver for an alleged parole violation, police officials said.
Two patrol officers stopped a white pickup truck in the Village Center parking lot on North Cumberland – just south of Baddour Parkway – because they believed the driver had an outstanding warrant out of Cannon County, Lebanon Police Chief Scott Bowen said.
After confirming the warrant, police searched the vehicle and found various bottles and cans of chemicals used to make methamphetamine as well as a tray of finished product, Bowen said.
Police summoned Patrol Officer Chris Luna, one of three Lebanon police officers trained in meth lab identification, to catalog and confiscate the materials.
Officers arrested the driver and one passenger. The driver, Bobby Jerone Davenport of Woodbury, was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and bail was set at $15,000. Davenport was later charged with bringing contraband into a jail when Wilson County Sheriff's deputies found him in possession of meth while processing him.
The passenger, James W. Dinkins III of Lebanon, was also charged with manufacturing methamphetamine. His bail was set at $15,000, Bowen said.
Bowen would not comment on whether the arrests and subsequent investigation may lead police to a larger meth operation.
Monday's incident came at the same time Gov. Phil Bredesen was in neighboring Sumner County formally announcing the start of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference's "Meth Destroys" statewide methamphetamine youth education campaign.
The District Attorneys' initiative will focus on educating middle and high school students about the dangers of methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth.
"Tennessee's methamphetamine problem is a statewide issue and affects much more than just the user," Bredesen said in a press release. "It is a critical time to educate Tennesseans about the effects of the drug – not just on individuals, but also on their families, neighborhoods and communities."
But Monday's incident highlights the ongoing problem state and local officials have in stopping meth production, which an official in Tennessee's 15th Judicial District said Monday was a "huge, huge problem" in the district, which includes Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, and Wilson counties.
The 15th Judicial District Attorney General Tommy Thompson will lead the new education campaign in the counties. Thompson was unavailable Monday for comment, but his office said youth intervention and education is something he is already actively engaged in.
Staff Writer Jared Allen can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 15.