Four people arrested following drug bust in Tennessee

TENNESSEE — Four men have been arrested following an investigation into a drug shipment sent across the country, authorities said.

In early February, officials with Old Dominion Freight Line alerted law enforcement about a suspicious package shipped from Los Angeles, California, to Knoxville.

The package was a pallet containing multiple shrink-wrapped boxes.

Knoxville Police Department K-9 Officer Richard Wallace and his K-9 partner, Max, responded to the scene.

Max alerted officers to the presence of a controlled substance inside the shipment.

Police allowed the package to be delivered to its intended storage unit and began surveillance.

Shortly after, two men arrived in separate vehicles—a Nissan Maxima driven by Kishion Jones and a white Chevrolet driven by Thomas Hatfield.

The men opened the unit, loaded the boxes into their vehicles, and drove to the Country Club Apartments.

Officers then moved in, activating their emergency lights. Hatfield was arrested at the scene, but Jones fled in his vehicle.

Authorities later arrested Jones, charging him with possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, unlawful possession of a firearm, and evading arrest with risk of death or injury.

In addition to Jones, three others were charged:

• Thomas Hatfield – Charges undisclosed.
• Alexander (full name not provided) – Charged with possession of a firearm, providing false reports to an officer, and possession of 70-300 pounds of a substance containing marijuana.
• Malachi Franklin – Charged as an accessory to possession of 70-300 pounds of a substance containing marijuana.

The case remains under investigation.