On Tuesday, city police units responded to Mclarty Ln. to assist Crossville Fire and Rescue (CFD) with an illegal burn. Officer Shade Foster arrived on the scene and made contact with FF/Medic Trevor Gibson, FF Alex Osmun, and Ricky Gupton (4).

FF/Medic Gibson informed Gupton that he did not have a burn permit due to CFD revoking the permit earlier in the day. Gupton was visibly upset and I attempted to explain to him that the homeowner should have told him about the revocation of the burn permit at the time that he was notified.

FF/Medic Gibson and I then observed a sewer manhole in the immediate vicinity due to the smell of human feces and the fact that the sewage from the house was backed up and overflowing into the yard. Foster then asked Gupton why the sewer manhole that belongs to the city was open and overflowing with water containing human waste.

Gupton then got upset and slammed the manhole cover onto the manhole which, in turn, splashed human fecal matter and muddy water on FF Osmun, FF/Medic Gibson, and Foster.

FF/Medic Gibson asked Gupton why he did that to which he replied “S*** happens”. Gupton then began to walk away while muttering quietly to himself. FF/Medic Gibson told Gupton that he couldn’t hear him and Gupton responded aggressively. In an attempt to not cause any further escalation, Foster ordered Gupton to stop talking and go inside multiple times.

Gupton finally obliged and went back into the residence without any further incident. CFD then got a fire alarm call and had to respond. Officer Foster asked for a supervisor over the radio and Lt. Lester and Lt. King responded to the scene. As they arrived, the officer asked Gupton to come back out of the house to speak with him about the incident.

Gupton was confrontational throughout the officer’s entire time at the residence. Gupton was placed into custody and Lt. Lester transported him to the Cumberland County Justice Center for booking. Foster remained on scene shortly for Lt. King to take photographs of the fecal matter that was still on his uniform.

Before signing warrants on Gupton, Foster had to go to another location to decontaminate and change uniforms due to the fecal matter in the sewage, and the risk of exposure to multiple blood-borne pathogens that multiple subjects residing at Mclarty Ln are known to carry.

FF Osmun and FF/Medic Gibson also returned to their station and decontaminated for the same reasons. After that was complete, warrants were signed on Gupton for three counts of Assault on a first responder by human waste. Gupton was served those warrants at intake.