Tennessee Roll Call

Lynchburg

Rocky Ruehling

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0:00 | 27:06

We interview Moore County Sheriff's Investigator Josh Leverette. Guest co-host is Tyler Walls from the "Hanging Out in the Hollar" podcast.

SPEAKER_00

Lynchburg, obviously known for the Jack Daniels distillery, but Moore County is a dry county. I had a cargo load of liquor that was uh taken a full tracker trailer load. We had a uh affair in town. One of the booth workers was heavily intoxicated. Officer Leverett ended up making an arrest. This guy was just as happy as he could be that he got arrested by Josh Leverett. He wanted his picture taken.

SPEAKER_02

And we came out of the apartment, and you remember we had those old little hollows. And that guy comes to my hook again.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome back to Tennessee Rocco Tickle today today to have Moore County's finest on both sides. We have hanging out in the holler co-host Tyler Walls with us today, along with Moore County Sheriff's Investigator Joshua Leverett with us. And just to get it right off the bat, uh Moore County Lynchburg, obviously known for the Jack Daniels distillery, but Moore County is a dry county. Can you kind of explain? Or am I being too much of a nerd, Tyler?

SPEAKER_02

That that's a lot of people don't understand what dry county means.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, tell us what dry county is, actually. What does that entail?

SPEAKER_01

Well, Rocky, so this is what this is what I'm told, okay? I'll be honest. I I haven't spent much time on this, but they make it, they bottle it, but they can't sell it by the drink.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Is that beer, right? Yes. I mean, is beer?

SPEAKER_02

No, you can you can sell beer, and I think you can sell like a company. I think they can do like company distillery. I think you can have a special permit. If I'm not I could be wrong, I don't know. But like they can't, like Jack Daniels, if you go there to the take the tour, right? You can't buy an actual bottle. Right. You have to buy a souvenir bottle. And it I think it explains that on the bottle. Oh, okay. This is for a souvenir bottle.

SPEAKER_00

It just seems weird to me. And I'm not trying to nerd out or anything like that. It just seems like of course, you know, if you remember, Mayberry was they were a dry county. That's why Otis kept getting locked up.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00

Greatest show ever made. Yeah. Well, we're I'm tickled to debt to have both of you here today representing Moore County. And uh we'll go ahead and start with uh Detective Leverett. Tell us a little bit about your career as a police officer. Wow. Um about about 1932 is where it started with us. That's right.

SPEAKER_01

I think it was uh horse and buggy, something like that. No, uh so January 2005, uh Shelbyville PD took their took a chance on me, and I went through the academy uh in March and graduated in May 2005 and was on the road for six and a half years as a patrol officer, and after six and a half years, I was like, you know what, I've missed a lot of stuff with my family, and um there was a different path for me to take. And me and the wife and the boys chose to do something together as a family, and then lo and behold, uh that ran for two years, and ended up calling um one of the uh supervisors here that I knew very well at one time, and uh here he used to be here years ago, and I said, Hey, I said, uh you guys hiring? And sure, he said, sure, come put your app in.

SPEAKER_00

And here means Telehoma. Here means Tellahoma.

SPEAKER_01

So I ended up in Tellahoma, started here in Telehoma December of 2015, and left March of 2021 and went to drive in a truck again. I have my CDLs as a backup. Um, had them since 1998, and I've got every endorsement except two endorsements, and um then lo and behold, fast forward to 2022 of June, um, I was asked if I wanted to come back into law enforcement and for uh Moore County Sheriff's Department. Went back in June, June 6, 2022. Ten months later, they asked me if I wanted to be an investigator again, and I'm like, absolutely. So uh I've been investigator since uh May 1st of uh 2023 and here I am today. And how is it uh how is it over there like call volume in Moore County? So you know that question you asked me, Rocky, that I went back and looked, and in a week's time we have about 150 approximate approximately 150 calls. Now, the difference between like Moore County and Telehoma and Shelbyville, y'all, even is Moore County is like really stretched out. I mean it's it's a small county, but it's a big county. It takes you a minute to get it. It's bigger than what people think. It is. And and especially when you're trying to get from this point to this point, and there's no good way except a straight line. Oh um, and even running, you know, 33 traffic, which is lights and sirens, it can still take you 25 minutes plus.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I've never ran it through Moore County. I I don't know if you uh you you have you ever ran it Tyler?

SPEAKER_02

Not to Moore County. Back when I was a reserve in Franklin County in like 2010 or 2011, I had to run lights and sirens 33 from Huntlin all the way up to almost uh I-24. I 64. How long that takes? Well 25, 30 minutes. Well, that's a straight shot though. That wasn't through curves, right? But it's one of those that takes forever.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, well, Lynch Lynch Birdmore County is all uh the same. I mean, I guess what's the what's the word incorporated? Metro, metro metro, metro Metro County. Thank you. I'm gonna show you. Oh, well, thank you, Tyler. You're fired. Uh and this was and this was such a high paying position for you. What are you 500,000? Something like that. Anyways, we're gonna move on. I cashed the first check already. Well, I hope I hope not. Because if you saw that bank account, it wouldn't be great. Um, well, that uh again, Detective, thanks for being on the program with us today and taking time out. Um you said you had about 150 calls. About does that uh what did that normally entail?

SPEAKER_01

Oh gosh. Uh I mean, it can be anywhere from animals running at large to criminal trespass to aggravated assault.

SPEAKER_00

Oh. Yeah. People probably don't even realize that happens in their backyard.

SPEAKER_01

No, and uh, you know, that Rocky, when I first started, you know, what was so crazy is I had people tell me, you know, hey, this is you know, the experience you've got, you know, this will be a great gig for you because there's not much that goes on. I'm like, no, I I've I've been on the road long enough and I've answered calls, even in the daytime. There's still a lot of stuff that goes on in Moore County. The only difference is is the call volume. Our call volume is nowhere near your call volume here in Tullahoma and Shelbyville. But we still have the same calls. Now, there's also a huge disadvantage, really, on s the the placement of some of these properties because some of these properties are way up on a hill and they can see you coming for miles away if if something bad is taking place.

SPEAKER_00

I didn't even think about that.

SPEAKER_02

That's not uh that that can put you at a disadvantage because don't give me if I might be wrong, I may be right, I don't know, but like GPS wise, because you get out in the royal royal rural era. Come on, Tyler. I can't speak today. But the the areas of Moore County, like there's no service for anything. Like you you've got to rely on the old-fashioned look at the mailboxes and check the numbers. Yes. Hopefully you're in the right place.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, and sometimes those are deceiving because the mailbox numbers and house numbers aren't always accurate.

SPEAKER_00

I can I can imagine. I have to go through Moore County a lot, and it is different from you know, normally, you know, way things normally are. And of course, I know GPS sometimes works, sometimes it don't. So yeah. Um can you can you remember any? Well, let me go ahead and bring this up real quick because this is something I didn't tell you about, so we can edit it out later if you want to. But uh I I do want to mention one call that me and me and you went on when you were in Telehoma. Do you know what I'm about to talk about? I don't think so, Rocky. I'm sorry. Okay, because I I'm gonna tell you this one call. Tyler, I don't know if you were there or not, but we had a uh a fair in town. It was some type of a festival, something that happened over there at the community center on South Jackson Street. And one of the booth workers was heavily intoxicated and he was being very obnoxious. Do you remember this name? I do remember this name. And we ended up like we got one call out there on him, and we and we told him, I was like, hey, just calm down, work your booth, and be done with it. But we kept getting calls and we had to do something. Yeah. So uh Officer Leverett ended up making an arrest. This guy, after we arrested, you know, you don't never know what they're gonna act like. Uh they're sometimes they're mad, they want to fight, or something like that. This guy was just as happy as he could be that he got arrested by Josh Leverett. And I have a picture of he wanted his picture taken. And I took his picture, and obviously, if I'm gonna show it on the program, I'll uh I have to blur him out because I can't find him, I wouldn't know where he's at or anything to get his permission. But he wanted his picture taken with you, his arresting officer, because he was so happy you were arresting him. Yes. Do you remember anything about that?

SPEAKER_01

You know, Rocky, I so y'all uh the COVID has messed my brain up. I have I have really bad brain fog. Oh no. Yeah. Um I can remember some things now. I remember that, Rocky, but I don't remember the circumstances, but I do now that you when you started speaking about it, it reminded me. I should have showed you the picture ahead of time before I said anything.

SPEAKER_00

I remember the call.

SPEAKER_02

I think I was working that day, but I didn't go to it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. It was a fairy.

SPEAKER_02

I think it was the only time we've ever had it. It was right past Lighthouse Grocery, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Right there on the um No, it was right there at the Seth Jackson, the community center.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. On their grounds. On their grounds.

SPEAKER_00

They had like a whole uh I do okay.

SPEAKER_02

I do remember that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they had like a whole uh, you know, like I think it was like a Ferris wheel and all that, that out there, and one of the booth workers was because I think me and you might have gone out there first or earlier that day and was walking around and somebody was talking about you know we never had we never had them back.

SPEAKER_01

That was probably that's probably your fault. Maybe. I don't know. But you know, so I've had that happen to me several times, y'all. I've had people ask me, hey, can can will you take my picture with you? And I'm like, okay. What? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You mean that's happened before that's happened before. As you're arresting them. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00

What is it about you that makes people want to just be arrested by Detective Leverett?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I don't know. Um, I don't know if it's my uh I guess maybe it's my demeanor. I don't understand. I mean, I don't know. I mean, I talk to people. I have a good demeanor. You do, you do.

SPEAKER_00

I have a great demeanor, but I don't know. I am voted Telehoma's most punchable face. I will second that right. I don't know what it is. I'm just as nice as I can be. I've never had anybody say, Oh, let me take a picture with you. Yeah, yeah. I've had people tell me that I'd never be able to take a picture again.

SPEAKER_01

So well, Rocky, you are well, I remember working with you. You were kind of like me. You're a very patient man. Well, I mean, we when it comes to people.

SPEAKER_00

Well, Tyler's one of my friends, of course I'm patient man.

SPEAKER_01

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_00

So there's that. Well, thank well, thank you very much. Um, but is there any other like any other things you can think of as far as what you've done, like in Moore County, that would be interesting?

SPEAKER_01

Well, so uh as far as investigation-wise, I had a cargo load of liquor. It wasn't not Jack Daniels stuff, but I had a cargo load of of liquor that was uh taking a full tractor trailer load. And it's not really a funny story, it's just wild. And I'll say this too one of the greatest words that I've ever heard and ever been told and utilized, and I tell the young people this that are just starting, networking. That is the greatest word I've ever learned in this profession. Because it's good that I can call a Rocky Ruling or a Tyler Walls or a Chief Sons or uh Deputy Chief Kennedy and say, Hey, this is what I got. Can y'all help me? Mm-hmm. And that and and that's what it's all about. It's it's about helping each other. But so I started started my investigation, had no clue how to do this, y'all. No clue. So you guess you got a bunch of liquor, or is it yeah, it was uh like I say it was a it was a tractor trailer full of alcohol and it was stolen uh from around, it wasn't even on Jack Daniel's property. So I began investigating. I got the trailer number, I tracked down the trailer that it came from Atlanta, Georgia, and called the trailer company, started tracking that, who had it, who got it, whatever. Well, then I got online, honestly, and I started Googling a bunch of stuff. And again, with me having a CDL background, I knew a little bit about this. Yeah. That kind of helped. So I got introduced to a man whose name I got off the internet. Guys, I think he's in Pennsylvania, and this is what he does for a living. And he uh he started you know leading me and guiding me in the right way. Long story short, I found, well, the trailer was found in Los Angeles, California, with the doors open, empty, of course, on a dead end street, and I located the I was able to locate the empty trailer.

SPEAKER_00

All the way in Los Angeles from Moore County, Tennessee.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00

Wow. Yes, I don't think we've ever done anything like that, have we, Tyler? I don't think so. I've never found anything in Los Angeles.

SPEAKER_02

I've found stuff from Los Angeles here.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But I have no clue.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I won't talk about what she was and why she was here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But yeah, she came from Los Angeles. Yeah.

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_02

Never found the liquor though. I doubt you probably ever never find it.

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna say, just by guessing location, I'm gonna say it's probably it was probably on a ship somewhere going to Russia. Oh, well, there you go.

SPEAKER_00

Did you ever find the PERB?

SPEAKER_01

No, never found the truck.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, that's yeah. I mean, like I say, I was ecstatic just finding the trailer. Yeah. I mean, I mean, was uh was the truck stolen too? No. Oh, it was just the it was just the contents. The contents, yes, the commodities.

SPEAKER_02

That's that's a pretty bold move, too, to take an 18-wheeler full of liquor and cross-country.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I'm kind of I'm having smoky and the bandit arrives from that. I know. Uh anything, uh any any other like interesting calls from Moore County that would fascinate people?

SPEAKER_01

Y'all, I tell you, I have been uh so overwhelmed with stuff. I mean, again, believe it or not, in in Moore County, I am so overwhelmed with calls and investigations.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I can imagine you don't have the personnel that a lot of people have over there either. No, we don't have to the amount. So, I mean, obviously, whatever you have is going to be heavy.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, and I mean you even have we we come to a point, you know, sometimes to where if we've lost a couple guys, you'll have your chief deputy. He'll be out, Shane Taylor, he'll be out answering calls, he'll be out taking reports, he'll be out. I've seen him work cases for us because we've been so overrun.

SPEAKER_00

And that's a good camaraderie.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, it is. And you'll see Sheriff Hatfield. I have I have been to calls, y'all, and especially medical calls. Sheriff Hatfield will beat the ambulance there.

SPEAKER_00

I've got a I've got to say something about Sheriff Hatfield. Uh uh awesome guy. And I got to work with him when he was an officer in Tallahoma. I think I can't remember if me and him started around the same time. I think he was a little got a little bit more than me, but he was still an officer in Tellahoma. Brilliant. Yes. And uh you could just work with him and just know that he ain't gonna be an officer for long. He is gonna move up somewhere. He ended up going in investigations, was a great investigator. Yes. Um, real cool guy. Uh, thank the world of uh Sheriff Hatfield and always have. But anyways, I interrupted you. No, you're fine.

SPEAKER_01

And you know, Rocky, the the the funny story is is you know, when when investigator Hatfield at the time was elected Sheriff of Moore County, I stepped into his spot in investigations, and then now I am working for him. And you you you couldn't have said it any better. I I love the man. I have I have so much respect for the man. Uh he's been fantastic to me.

SPEAKER_00

I can imagine. I never worked for him, but I worked with him so long that I can imagine how that would be.

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

With him. How's it like going with uh Officer Chris Cole? How's that?

SPEAKER_01

You know, Chris Cole. Who is that? You do you don't know, Mr. Yeah. Deputy Coe um has been a uh a really truly godsend. He's he's done very well in Moore County, very well. Um he reminds me so much of one of my FTO officers in Shelbyville. Um, you know, Chris has got that dry sense of humor. No, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know what you're talking about. Never know what he's gonna say. Never know what he's gonna say. And he comes up with some really good stuff sometimes. Um but I I he he is he's all the time texting or something, you know, that uh whether it be a call or something their own, and he's always sending something or texting something. And I said, You remind me of my FTO Bill Logue, who has recently retired in Shelbyville. But Bill was a great FTO officer and he was that way. I mean, he would just I guess you call them zingers. Oh you know, it's one of those things if you're sitting there and you may say something, all of a sudden he'll say something, it's just absolutely hilarious.

SPEAKER_02

So I didn't work with Chris Long because when I came to Tullahoma April of 2016, so I was right after you a couple months because we we worked together for two years before you went to investigations. Yeah. But yeah, I didn't work with Chris Long, but what I did work with him, we always got into something.

SPEAKER_00

Oh yeah, it was it was kind of he actually he he he uh there was one operation he did that um we were having so many problems in one area of town, and he actually uh we was starting against some gang activity, and he led the charge on uh getting rid of that, and it was and it worked. It didn't take long before that area was you wouldn't a gang member wouldn't come anywhere near it. So I gotta give him kudos for that. Because he was he was very instrumental there. Do you remember any while while you were here in Tallahoma, do you remember any uh calls come to mind or anything uh investigations come to mind that you think would be uh interesting for our viewing and listening audience?

SPEAKER_01

You know, Rocky, again, I since since COVID has cubby gone, it's it's really I don't hate to hear that. Yeah, I've I've I have I don't know if it's something though that it's just I've just been able to tune out or or forget or whatever, just block it. But y'all I'm gonna tell you something. And you guys know, um I worked a lot of cases. Oh, you do work a lot of cases in here when I was here in Tellahoma, and there was a lot going on, guys. And and I mean, you know, Tullahoma is not the sleepy little town that people think that it is. I mean, there's a lot of stuff, and just like with Shelbyville, y'all right right now. I know because I live in Bedford County. Shelbyville, when I left, and of course, you know, time changes, but I left there in 2011 to where it is now. Unbelievable. We were lucky to have four officers on the street, five usually. Now they've got, if I'm not mistaken, I heard nine plus.

SPEAKER_00

Well, you got Shevyville and Telehoma both growing, and as good as that is, uh, you know, we do have, you know, some more issues that come in. And I do want to go ahead and reference this is that Telehoma and Chevyville I feel are perfectly safe places to live. I I don't want anybody to think that I'm saying anything of that way, but we do have that small fraction that uh of people that do like to come in and cause problems and keep us very, very busy. Yes. And the more you grow, the more that fraction will grow on top of that.

SPEAKER_02

So now, because me and Leverett worked together on second shift for what two years. We were always getting in some type of knockout, drag out.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, we I won't allow Tyler to work on my shift.

SPEAKER_02

So we'll get to that. I know you remember this. It was that we were at Briarwood, it was like an assault. We were leaving, and we came out of the apartment, and you remember we had those old Impalas, and that guy trying to steal my hubcast. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, off of the police car?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, yes. We didn't we we were in shock, like we didn't have our cell phones there were in the car, and we didn't take a picture, but I was glad Leverett was there to witness it. Yes, because we come out of the apartment and we just heard this like tink sound, and we were like, what is that? And we just kind of stopped in disbelief, and there was a guy, he had a hammer and a flathead screwdriver just trying to take my hubcaps.

SPEAKER_00

And so if so, if Leverett was involved, then that means he wanted his picture taken afterwards. So holding a hubcap. We walk over there with the guy.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, finally we're like, what are you doing? He's like, oh, some kids took it off and put I'm putting it back on, and I'm well, I think we were in shock and disbelief. We were like, get out of here, dude. Like, we didn't you didn't even take him to jail. We were like, we didn't know what to do. We were like, he didn't get him off. Like, what's like what is going on? Yes. Like we we had no idea.

SPEAKER_01

It was that was one of the very few times that I was actually shocked. Because I'm like, I here we I mean we're right here, and this guy's trying to trying to do this for me.

SPEAKER_00

That's hilarious. But you know, going back to what me and Tyler were talking about, it's I don't allow him on my shift.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, and I show up anyway.

SPEAKER_00

He shows up anyway, and of course, uh, yesterday when me and you were working together had another shift reason why I do not want you showing up because that was crazy. But it seems like every time me and Tyler work together, something happens out there.

SPEAKER_02

So of course I've been the SRO SRO for the last three years and I'll occasionally come work a shift with Rocky, two or three if I know Rocky's working. Yeah. I I I want to say out of the last three years I've probably worked 12 shifts with Rocky and we've almost gotten some type of shootout or something every time.

SPEAKER_00

Just about every time. There's always it's always something there. That's why I I tell him do not come to my ship. And that's why he does. Yeah. Because he can. Yes. I think you know I think your sergeant hates me sometimes. I think I don't know. Because he allows it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. No, I'm like, well Rocky's working. I'm going to go into work today.

SPEAKER_01

There are some people, y'all, that are just magnets. And today's one. They're magnets.

SPEAKER_00

But Tyler knows everybody. I mean because Tyler's the type of guy that, you know, if you need like footage looked at and is that who it is? Well Tyler knows.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah. My brain of course my brain getting older in the mid-30s now it's it's rough on a guy I'm starting to lose a little brain cells.

SPEAKER_00

But do I have a violin sound effect or something? You're in your mid-30s. Oh. But yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01

Well, you know, I was thinking about my career on the way over here, y'all. I've got 15 plus years. Of course it's it's broken up, of course. But you know, I mean I was thinking about how, again, how I was telling Rocky earlier how blessed I was to work with the people of Shelbyville. Give me a chance. Excuse me. Working with you guys. I loved working with y'all. Tullahoma was gracious enough to give me a chance and then lo and behold sheriff is giving me another chance. So it's very rare y'all people don't understand when I got hired in Shelbyville, I was number two, I was the first one hired and a guy was hired behind me. We were the only two hired out of three hundred applicants at that time in 05. Wow. Now you won't get 300 applicants.

SPEAKER_02

It's hard to find five good applicants in the city.

SPEAKER_00

It's just it's the way it's it's yeah well I mean a lot of people they don't I think when they realize what policing is nowadays they really don't want any part of it when it comes to what is out there. And what you know what we I even saw a quote earlier before we got on the broadcast not to try to dampen the mood we got going but uh it was something like we used to fight to win but now we fight not to get sued. Yes. And you know because it's gotten to that point now to where you know everybody seems to be lawsuit happy and you're just trying to you know do your job well and just try to avoid that if possible and sometimes it gets hard but yeah it is what it is. But I don't think I I've got to tell you this you know you've talked about people giving you a chance and I appreciate that but at the same time you rock. Well thank you you were you you awesome work with when you were in Tallahoma I know I depended on you a lot. You know you you've been a great friend great partner and I I I I'd say that giving you a shot was just as much on our benefit as it was yours.

SPEAKER_01

No I thank you. I mean like I say I I've been y'all I mean I have had so much fun in this profession. It is and the reason why I chose this is I I started out putting in applications at 21 in Shelbyville. Well I didn't get hired till I was thirty years old y'all so I was I mean I wasn't old by no means but I was one of the older guys in the academy but now I realize that that 30 years old was probably good for me because I was not a very mature young man at 21, 22 23.

SPEAKER_02

Probably a good probably a good thing you waited because when I got into it I was 19 years old when I graduated academy way too young. Wow I don't think I think we do it right at 21 but I also think we should have a little experience before that. It's nice 20 23 24 because at 21 you're still your brain's still developing you're not fully especially the male brain yeah I mean really yeah and like I said I was way too young getting into it. 19 years old not even 20 yet when I graduated the academy I graduated December 11 2009 I was 19 years old.

SPEAKER_00

Wow I'm way too old to be doing this. I will be 52 in September. I look closer to 52 than you do. And I'm 40 well I'll be 46 this year. Yeah but guys this has been absolutely awesome I hate the fact that it's already come yeah we are we're already about ready done. It's coming gone. It's come and gone I've been looking forward to this for a while now it's over with man I'm gonna I'm gonna cry now it's kind of like the fair yeah I'll cash my I'll cash the the the check for I would wait I would I would wait like we'll get an IOU like I'll be dumb and dumber right yes my guest host today from hanging out in the hall or Tyler Walls along with the Telehome police officer Moore County Deputy Investigator Josh Lever. Thank you for being with us today. Yes and uh we'll see y'all next time thank you yes sir