A West Knox County neighborhood woke up to a full-scale law enforcement operation after the Knox County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at a home on Ladbrook Lane, part of an ongoing investigation into a shooting into an occupied dwelling. Deputies secured the residence, took two people into custody without incident, and seized ammunition along with suspected narcotics. Prosecutors have already filed a slate of drug and weapons charges while the broader investigation continues.
According to WVLT, the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit led the operation, backed up by the narcotics unit, the SWAT team and patrol deputies. Investigators obtained the warrant as part of a reckless endangerment probe tied to what they described as a shooting into an occupied dwelling. At the scene, detectives reported recovering ammunition, narcotics, and drug paraphernalia, and officials said more charges could follow once all of the evidence is processed.
The two people arrested were identified as 38-year-old Derrick Mulkey and 29-year-old Marti Cheyanne McGhee. Both were booked into the Knox County jail, according to the publicly available Knox County Sheriff's Office inmate roster, which lists entries for both names with dates of birth that match the ages provided by investigators. Court hearings and formal filings tied to the Ladbrook Lane search are still pending in the county system.
Prosecutors have filed charges that include maintaining a dwelling for drug use, sale and delivery of Schedule II narcotics, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. They also listed a charge of a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition related to Mulkey, as reported by WVLT. Additional counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and destruction of evidence are pending as detectives continue to sort through what they collected. Officials said details on others connected to the investigation will be released later as the case develops.
What the charges mean
Under Tennessee law, a person who has been convicted of a felony and is found with a firearm can face prosecution under T.C.A. § 39-17-1307. That statute makes such possession unlawful and allows for felony penalties. Any sentence depends on the specific counts and the defendant’s prior record, and a conviction can factor into parole and sentencing calculations in other cases. As in all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
What happens next
The Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is still active, and detectives may bring more charges as they continue to review the evidence pulled from the Ladbrook Lane address. Both Mulkey and McGhee remain in custody while they wait for further proceedings and any formal arraignments. For tips, case updates or contact information, residents can visit the Knox County Sheriff's Office website.
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