Grand jury to hear charges against two former Hixson High School students

Charges will go to the grand jury against two former Hixson High School students accused of bringing a stolen car, a firearm and what may be baking soda they were attempting to pass off as cocaine onto campus, Hamilton County General Sessions Judge David Bales ruled Friday.

“This is an unfortunate situation,” Judge Bales said. “While we have two students who should have been in school, they were there trying to sell drugs and carrying a weapon.”

Derrick Jones is charged with carrying a gun onto school property, altering the gun’s permanent identification number and criminal trespassing. Kenny Hall is charged with theft, possessing drugs and criminal trespassing.

Each defendant is being held in the Hamilton County Jail on $300,000 bond each.

Defense Attorney Mike Caputo, who represents Mr. Jones, said he believes the bond is too high because two of the three charges are misdemeanors.

“Mr. Jones has no criminal record,” he said. “I just think the bond is excessive.”

Defense attorney Rich Heinsman, who represents Mr. Hall, said his client was not the one carrying the gun, and the drugs are likely not a narcotic.

Sheriff’s Deputy Gregg Carson, the school resource officer at Hixson High, said another individual who is not a student at Hixson High told authorities he gave the defendants baking powder to sell at the school on Feb. 20.

Sgt. David May with the sheriff’s office testified he found three bags of a white powder on the driver’s side floorboard of a blue 2002 Ford Focus that later was determined to be stolen.

“Based on my experience it could have been anything from methamphetamine to powder cocaine,” he said.

Sgt. May said the bags were taken into evidence and will be sent for testing.

Deputy Carson said when he first saw the trespassers they had their hands in the air flashing what appeared to be gang signs.

They tried to blend in with students but Deputy Carson led them outside and searched them when he found a semi-automatic handgun in Mr. Jones’ back pocket.

“I saw the barrel of a pistol sticking out of his pocket pointing up at me,” he said.

Testimony indicated the gun was not loaded, but the campus immediately was placed on lockdown. He also testified that Mr. Hall had keys that belonged to the Ford Focus.

Students told him that Mr. Hall was “mud bogging” with the car several days earlier and got stuck.

“They said he was in a hurry to get it unstuck because it was stolen,” Deputy Carson said.

Sgt. May said authorities contacted the owner, who had reported the theft about a week earlier, and she identified damage to the exterior and that the radio-compact disc player was missing.

Officials said it could be several weeks before a grand jury hears evidence in the case.