Detective Rodney Burns of the Gatlinburg Police Department is sworn in as a witness before Judge Robert Philyaw during a preliminary hearing for the Ooltewah High School basketball coaches and the school’s athletic director in Hamilton County Juvenile Court on Monday.An attorney for a Gatlinburg, Tenn., police detective calls allegations that the officer may have spoken untruthfully during a hearing in the Ooltewah basketball rape case “base” and “reckless.”
Attorney Bryan E. Delius, in a news release, said Detective Rodney Burns, a 25-year veteran with the Gatlinburg department, “wholly denies” any wrongdoing.
However, Melydia Clewell, spokeswoman for District Attorney General Neal Pinkston, released this statement in response to Delius’ letter:
“General Pinkston believes Detective Burns perjured himself in Hamilton County Juvenile Court on Monday, February 15. That’s the only reason he asked the TBI to investigate. He swore an oath to prosecute crimes, no matter who commits them.”
“As for General Pinkston’s life goals, he is a career prosecutor with no interest in leaving Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last fall he respectfully declined the Haslam Administration’s attempts to appoint him to an open judgeship in Hamilton County.”