(LENOIR CITY) A Loudon County grand jury has declined to indict officers involved in two separate fatal shootings.
Lenoir City Police Department Officer Tyrel Lorenz is accused of shooting and killing Joshua William Grubb, 30, in March.
Two Loudon County Sheriff’s Office deputies were also being investigated for a fatal shooting in January. Thongsavanh Vandarack, 40, died when he was shot by Patrick Upton and Jason Smith, two investigators from LCSO, as they served a warrant for an aggravated statutory rape.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, the Loudon County district attorney general announced the grand jury found officers in the unrelated incidents not at fault for the deadly shootings.
The death of Joshua William Grubb
The shooting happened just after 1:00 a.m. March 13 on Highway 321 near I-75.
Officer Tyrel Lorenz, 29, was sent to the Bimbo's convenience center after a 911 call from a nearby Ruby Tuesday's about three people who had just left the restaurant in a pickup truck.
Lorenz questioned the three as they pumped gas at Bimbo's. According to a release from District Attorney General Russell Johnson, Lorenz had placed one of the three in handcuffs when the driver, Joshua William Grubb, 30, of Clinton, began driving away.
Lorenz said he ordered Grubb to stop several times before TBI investigators said he jumped into the back of the truck as it left the parking lot. He continued to order Grubb to stop from the bed of the pickup truck, but as the vehicle accelerated onto Highway 321, Lorenz shot the driver multiple times.
“He does say, 'Stop the truck, stop the truck,' distinctly two times," Loudon County District Attorney General Russell Johnson said. "In part of his statement, he says, 'The driver looks back and saw me,' so the driver obviously could see, feel, hear. But the fact that he made eye contact with him, knew that he was there, and he was still gunning it and not making any attempt to stop.”
The truck traveled into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road and finally stopped when it hit a utility pole head on, less than a mile away from where the confrontation started.
Lorenz jumped out of the truck and attempted to help Grubb, who was pronounced dead when E.M.S. arrived a short time later.
“He was going to put himself at whatever speed out on the highway at any expense to get himself away from the situation he would’ve endangered others," Johnson said. "And Lorenz stopped him from doing that.”
The TBI responded to the scene to investigate the shooting and presented their report to the Loudon County grand jury. The grand jury heard Lorenz contend that "he was in fear for his life and the safety and life of others on Highway 321 or even Interstate 75." the jury viewed in car camera video, body camera video and security from Bimbo's of the incident before deciding not to indict Officer Lorenz.
Lorenz had been with the Lenoir City Police Department since July 2015, and a law enforcement officer since 2010.
He had been on paid administrative leave since the incident happened. He is back to work as of Thursday night.
Lenoir City Police Chief Don White said, “He has completed everything and is fit for duty.”
The two other people in the truck with Grubb were arrested. Toni Ann Sutton, 40, of Heiskell, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Brandon Lawrence Taylor, 31, of Clinton, was charged with public intoxication and evading arrest.
In the video from the incident, Brandon Taylor can be seen wearing a shirt from his former employer.
“Brandon Taylor’s employment with Legends Lawn Care was terminated on April 13, 2015, well before the incidents involving Mr. Taylor’s arrest. Mr. Taylor is no longer affiliated with Legends Lawn Care in any manner,” a statement released to 10News from the company's attorney said.
“I’m sorry for Josh Grubb and Josh Grubb’s family," Johnson said. "I’m sorry that he and these other two individuals put him in that position.”
Johnson said although Lorenz acted to protect himself and others, he hopes this action is not something repeated.
“I would think this would be a great training video for these types of situations," he said. "I’ve not been in law enforcement. I’ve watched a bunch of these videos. I’ve kind of seen what types of protocols are. This is definitely not the suggested method of handling the situation I would think.”
He said the Grubb family has a civil attorney looking into the matter.
The death of Thongsavanh Vandarack
The shooting happened mid-afternoon on January 27.
Four Loudon County Sheriff’s Office investigators, Patrick Upton, Jason Smith, Jeff Russell and Charles Cosner tried to serve Vandarack with a warrant for an aggravated statutory rape charge at the home of his girlfriend on Grand View Drive in the county north of Lenoir City.
According to information from the District Attorney, Vandarack was accused of having a sexual encounter with a 13-year-old girl.
Investigators said they were aware of Vandarack’s violent crime history – he was convicted on two charges of attempted homicide in Wisconsin – and two investigators, Russell and Cosner, took up positions outside the home in case he tried to make an escape.
Inside the home, prosecutors said Vandarack stepped out from the kitchen area with both his hands in his pockets or at his waistband, and he was ordered to put his hands up. The investigators said he brought his hands up with what appeared to be a handgun and was told “don’t do it!” when both the officers began firing.
The DA said one officer fired 11 times, and another shot six times, though Vandarack wasn’t hit that many times. The grand jury ruled the incident was “suicide by cop.”
The DA’s investigation said the girlfriend, who was also charged with two counts of aggravated statutory rape of the same girl, told them he had planned to entice law enforcement to shot and kill him upon his arrest.
