On September 16, 2024 at approximately 1:40 AM. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office stopped to check on a vehicle parked at a storage facility on KY 303, just south of Mayfield. Deputies encountered John C. Engard, who was acting jittery and restless. While speaking with Engard, he admitted to having methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on his person. Deputies located a glass pipe that contained methamphetamine in Engard’s pocket. He was arrested and transported to the Graves County RC Center and was later transported to an out of county facility. Deputy Peyton Jackson investigated this incident. He was assisted by Sgt. Garret Clark and Deputy Austin Caldwell.
Engard was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st Degree, 3rd or Greater Offense, Drug Paraphernalia – Buy/Possess, DUI 3rd Offense, No Operator’s License and other traffic offenses.
On Sept. 14, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., the Graves County Sheriff’s Office responded to a possible injury collision on Interstate 69 Southbound at the 21-mile marker.
The investigation revealed that Branden Lane, 19, of Mayfield, was driving a 2003 Buick Lesabre southbound when the vehicle began to hydroplane. It veered off the roadway to the west and came to rest on a rock embankment.
Lane was transported to Jackson Purchase Medical Center by Mayfield/Graves County EMS for suspected minor injuries. His passenger, Leah Smith, 19, and infant passenger Jordyn Smith, both of Mayfield, were evaluated at the scene but were not injured.
Deputy Chad Hall conducted the investigation, with assistance from Deputy John Cavin, Mayfield/Graves County EMS, and the Mayfield/Graves County Rescue Squad.
On August 29, 2024, the Graves County Sheriff’s Office responded to a location on US 45 South between Pryorsburg and Wingo for a theft of a vehicle.
Between the hours of 3:00 AM and 7:00 AM on August 29, 2024, a 2021 red Ford F350 was stolen from the Pryorsburg Grain Company. The truck has a Kentucky Farm registration plate of 353706. It has four doors, has a utility bed with a fuel tank and a tool box in the bed that lays flat in the bed. The bed on the truck is black in color.
Anyone who has any information on this vehicle is asked to contact the Graves County Sheriff’s Office at 270-247-4501.
On August 26, 2024, at approximately 3:00 PM, the Graves County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Youngblood’s Excavating on Grace Park Road for a theft that had occurred the night before.
Video surveillance show’s a gray SUV pulling into the front yard of the building in front of the parking lot around approximately 10:30 PM on Sunday, August 25, 2024. The vehicle then pulls beside the work trucks that are parked in front of the building. A white male gets out of the vehicle and begins to go through each of the truck beds and tool box’s that were in the back.
Various Milwaukee brand saws, wrenches, drills, screw driver sets, socket sets and other various expensive tools were taken from the trucks. The male is seen taking the tools and placing them into the back seat of his SUV. The other occupant inside the vehicle is believed to be a female. The male looks to be about 6 feet tall and maybe 200 pounds. He is seen in a dark shirt and dark shorts with a neon object on his head to conceal his identity. The license plate on the back appears to be a “UK” blue and the vehicle is possibly a Toyota Highlander.
Any information about the identity of the individuals involved in this theft, is asked to contact the Graves County Sheriff’s Office at 270-247-4501.
On 08/26/2024 – A Fancy Farm area resident reported unauthorized charges had occurred in her credit card totaling over $1200 dollars. An investigation today revealed that the card numbers had been utilized at at least three Mayfield businesses explaining the unauthorized purchases. The suspect was tracked to a Chris Drive neighborhood where a juvenile was located and charged with Theft of Identity, Unauthorized Access to a Computer, and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card.
Sgt. Richard Edwards continues the investigation.
Fugitive arrested after foot chase on Rule Shack Road.
On 08/21/2024 Wednesday afternoon at around 4pm, a concerned citizen reported a suspicious white male was walking in the 500 block of Rule Shack Road near Fancy Farm looking in homes there.
Sheriff’s deputies immediately responded to that area. Upon seeing the sheriff’s deputies arriving in the area, the suspect fled on foot into a field and wooded area. A local resident provided deputies with a side by side ATV to assist in the search. Shortly afterwards, the man was found hiding under a log in the wooded area. He gave multiple false names but deputies positively identified him as someone they had encountered and arrested many times in this county. The last three times he was arrested, he each and every time fled on foot from deputies.
He was identified as being James M. Majors age 43 who is known to reside in the Farmington area.
He was wanted on numerous arrest warrants for violation of probation on Meth charges, violation conditions of release, and others. He was additionally charged with Fleeing or Evading Police 3rd Degree, and Giving False Information to Police. Additional charges and possible.
Thanks to the alert resident of Rule Shack Road for seeing and reporting, the suspect was apprehended.
Shooting Incident overnight
On 08/16/204 – In an effort to be as transparent as possible, I am releasing the following information concerning events that occurred last night at approximately 10pm which involved sheriff’s deputies from this agency.
Last evening, sheriff’s deputies received information from the Benton County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office concerning an individual that was wanted on a nationwide extraditable arrest warrant for charges related to felony failure to appear, on underlying charges related to the rape of a child, incest, and domestic assault. We were further advised that the suspect had communicated that he had intentions of killing himself.
Our agency was requested to attempt to locate the suspect after they had received information that he was in the Mayfield Kentucky area, in the vicinity of Jim town Road and Ky Hwy 121. A vehicle description had been provided.
At approximately 10PM, a graves county sheriff’s deputy located the vehicle in question at the Wingfield Inn located at 1101 West Housman Street, near the Graves County High School campus.
Shortly after locating the vehicle, the suspect came out of a motel room near his vehicle. The deputy approached him and was able to identify the man as the wanted person. While attempting to take the suspect into custody, a struggle ensued, and the suspect was able to get back through the door into the motel room. A brief standoff ensued as other deputies and officers from the Mayfield Police Department arrived.
The suspect later opened the door and exited the room brandishing a handgun, pointing it at deputies and officers. Numerous commands were given, that were ignored. At some point, law enforcement fired, and the suspect was hit and died at the scene. Body camera footage of the incident was secured.
I requested KSP Critical Incident Response Team investigate the incident in conjunction with the Mayfield Police Department’s request.
The sheriff’s office internal investigation also determined that the suspect earlier on Thursday August 15, 2024, was present at his jury trial in Tennessee, stemming from the charges listed above, but as jury deliberations began, the suspect left the court and fled. During this time is when he sent communications concerning suicide. The suspect was reportedly out on bond and not in custody during his trial.
The name of the deceased has not been released by the Graves County Coroner at this time.
Two sheriff’s deputies involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, as standard procedure dictates.
The information that I have released again is part of the sheriff’s office internal investigation, and no additional details will be released at this time by this office, until the KSP Critical Response Teams investigation is complete, or the situation dictates otherwise.
Please pray for the suspects’ family, and for all of the officers involved in this incident.
End of Release
Sheriff Jon Hayden
On August 18, 2024, at approximately 5:06 PM, Sgt. Richard Edwards responded to a motorcycle collision with injuries in the area of 470 KY 1710, East of Mayfield.
James Miller, 42 of Mayfield, was operating a motorcycle and was found lying in the roadway with obvious injuries. The investigation found that Mr. Miller was traveling East on KY 1710 around the 400 block. While traveling East, he entered a left curve in the roadway West of the Hamilton Soccer Fields. An area of gravel was located prior to entering the curve that he traveled over. This is where the motorcycle is believed to lay on its left side while he was not able to control it. The motorcycle was located in a ditch off the roadway a few feet from Mr. Miller’s location. Mayfield / Graves County EMS transported Mr. Miller to the Hamilton Park Soccer Fields where a landing zone was set up by the Mayfield / Graves County Fire & Rescue Squad. Air Evac transported him to Vanderbilt Trauma Center for treatment of his injuries.
August 09, 2024 Trafficking in Methamphetamine Arrest
A traffic stop by a Graves Sheriff’s Deputy at around 7:10PM Thursday evening (08-08-24) led to the arrest of a Mayfield man. 57 year old David Sean Williams was stopped for traffic offense near the intersection of Ky Hwy 80 and Ky Hwy 303.
A Sheriff’s K9 from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office alerted to the presence of narcotics coming from Williams vehicle. After the alert and prior to a search, Williams stated that he did in fact have crystal Methamphetamine in his vehicles glove compartment. Deputies then located approx 84 grams of crystal meth as well as US currency suspected as being the proceeds of illegal drug sales.
Crystal Methamphetamine is typically sold by the gram for $100, or smaller quantities on the street. Williams was charged with Trafficking in a 1st Degree Controlled Substance Methamphetamine, and other offenses.