WASHINGTON COUNTY – An investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Drug Related Death Task Force, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Johnson City Police Department has resulted in the indictment of a Johnson City man in connection to several drug overdoses, including one that resulted in a death.
On September 18, 2022, TBI agents joined detectives with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the suspected overdose death of Isaiah Coleman (DOB:1/29/99) after he was found deceased outside a home in the 2800 block of Tupelo Private Drive in Piney Flats. A second person was found unresponsive at the same location and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Coleman’s cause of death was determined to be an overdose caused by fentanyl and cocaine toxicity. During the course of the investigation, authorities determined that Tyrique Shahmir Brown (DOB: 10/22/91) was the individual responsible for distributing the drugs to Coleman and the other individual found at the residence. Further investigation by TBI agents and the Johnson City Police Department revealed that Brown was also responsible for distributing the drugs that resulted in additional non-fatal overdoses in Johnson City the previous night.
Last week, the Washington County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Tyrique Brown with one count of Second Degree Murder, three counts of Sale of Schedule II Drugs, and three counts of Distribution of Schedule II Drugs. This afternoon, he was taken into custody and booked into the Washington County Jail.
The Drug Related Death Task Force in Sullivan County is a partnership between the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force, 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, Bristol, TN Police Department, and Kingsport Police Department. The goal of the task force is to pursue those distributing deadly drug combinations that are resulting in epidemic levels of addiction and death in Northeast Tennessee. The task force receives funding through the Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) initiative, which uses a multi-disciplinary approach to address public health and safety issues that center around the opioid epidemic as well as other dangerous drug trends.
Original Article: https://tbinewsroom.com/2023/03/09/joint-investigation-into-drug-overdoses-in-two-counties-results-in-indictment-arrest/