CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW)- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) released its annual ‘Crime on Campus’ publication, detailing the volume and nature of crime on Tennessee’s college and university campuses.
The report compiles data submitted to TBI and reported by Tennessee’s colleges and universities and Austin Peay State University had incidents in a few categories.
There were 26 assaults reported, 17 thefts, 15 vandalisms, and 20 liquor violations and four forcible sexual offenses. The crime most reported was drug/narcotic violations, which 62 incidents were reported.
“I believe the report shows that our campus does do a good job when it comes to fighting crime,” said APSU Police Chief Sammie Williams. “The safety and security of the campus community is a joint effort by the staff, students, faculty and visitors who are willing to communicate with the police department in an effort to do our best to keep it safe. It takes all the community being involved to do the job we do. I would love to take credit for being an amazing police department, but the reality is it takes the whole community working together to accomplish what we do. We do have some great people working for APSU Campus Police, and it is an honor for me to get to be the chief of police.”
There was one homicide on APSU’s campus in 2019.
On Sunday, October 27, at approximately 10:10 p.m., police responded to a report of shots fired in the area of the 800 block of Hand Village. Based on initial information gathered by University Police, an individual not affiliated with the university had been shot.
The victim was transported to Tennova Hospital and died on route to the hospital.
Clarksville police handled the investigation and made an arrest. Austin Peay Campus Police assisted by providing information to Clarksville Police, according to Williams.
During the course of the investigation it was determined that Sedarin Brown, 22, was involved in a drug transaction to sell a small amount of marijuana to someone at Hand Village Avenue.
A witness said as they arrived at the location, two people approached their vehicle for the drug deal. One of the people, a 17-year-old juvenile, approached the driver’s door, pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim’s things. The other man identified as Watkins, opened the passenger door and began rummaging through the car.
At some point, Brown was shot.
Joshua A. Wilkins and a juvenile, both of Memphis, have been charged with criminal homicide in the death of Sedarin Brown, 22.
Wilkins had a hearing in December and his case was bound over to the grand jury.
For Austin Peay, drug violations accounted for the most common report filed.
“We will continue to enforce the drug/narcotic laws as we have in the past,” APSU Police Chief Sammie Williams said. “We offer programs to staff, students, faculty and visitors to help educate them on the dangers of drugs and narcotics. The enforcement aspect on campus is helped by all the communication we receive from students, staff, faculty and visitors that are willing to communicate with our department in such an amazing way.”