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New drug charges filed against man police say was Wal-Mart sniper's intended target

Joshua Lynn Hinkle

 

ROGERSVILLE — A Rogersville man was arrested late Thursday night after allegedly being found passed out behind the wheel of a car with pills and marijuana in his possession near the Wal-Mart parking lot where he was almost shot by a sniper in December.

Investigators believe Joshua Lynn Hinkle, 20, 1806 Russell Circle, Rogersville, was the intended victim of alleged Wal-Mart parking lot sniper Ronald Eugene Brewer, 20, last December.

Shortly before midnight Thursday, Rogersville Police Department Officer Christ Pinkston was dispatched to the Murphy USA gas station in the Rogersville Wal-Mart parking lot on Route 66 on a call of a man being passed out in a red Chevrolet.

Pinkston stated in his report that he found Hinkle in a red Chevy Lumina passed out behind the wheel sitting in front of two gas pumps with the engine still running.

Pinkston then woke Hinkle up and administered a series of sobriety tests. A search of Hinkle allegedly revealed him to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. Hinkle was arrested and charged with possession.

Upon arriving at the jail, Hinkle was asked by jailers if he had any other contraband on his person, which he denied.

While he was changing into jail attire, jailer Nick Davis allegedly observed a folded piece of paper fall out of Hinkle’s underwear.

Upon investigating the paper officers allegedly found that it contained three round blue pills, believed to be 30 milligram Oxycodone.

Hinkle was additionally charged with felony introduction of drugs into a penal institution and possession of schedule II narcotics.

At the time of his arrest Thursday night, Hinkle was serving one year of probation stemming from a guilty plea in June to misdemeanor casual exchange of marijuana.

Hinkle was arrested April 17 after Rogersville Police Chief Doug Nelson saw Hinkle sell marijuana to another man in a restaurant parking lot on Route 66.

Although Hinkle was originally charged with delivery and sale of marijuana, a felony, he instead received the plea agreement, served 10 days in jail, was fined $325 and placed on probation for a year. He also forfeited $510 he had in his possession at the time of his arrest.

If Hinkle had completed the terms of his probation, his record would have been expunged.

On Dec. 9, 2008, Brewer allegedly fired a rifle from an elevated position overlooking the Rogersville Wal-Mart parking lot where several youths were located. Police said Brewer was aiming the shot at Hinkle as part of an ongoing dispute between Hinkle and Brewer’s co-defendant, Travis Lee Goins, 23.

Brewer instead allegedly shot and killed innocent bystander Jackson B. Sellers, 18, with a .22-caliber rifle. Sellers had recently moved to Rogersville from Ohio and had no connection with the defendants or the intended victim.

Brewer and Goins are scheduled to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in Hawkins County Circuit Court on Feb. 15.

Hinkle was identified as the target in statements to police made by both Goins and Brewer.

The dispute between the suspects and Hinkle was reportedly over unpaid restitution to Goin’s from a car accident. The night of the shooting, the dispute reportedly escalated as a result of a verbal altercation in the Wal-Mart parking lot where several youths were hanging out.

Hinkle was released on bail Friday and is scheduled for arraignment Dec. 7.

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In the state East Tennesseans have created for themselves the politicians let god be the rock of the common man. The rock of the politician is the common mans money. The politicians hide behind faith and decieve us. Do you think this young man or his family have ever even been to or care to go to the Hale springs inn? Do you think that any local politician actually cares about this young man or the multitude of others just like him.

We have before us many answers. We just tend to ask the wrong questions - the partisanRanger

Partisan Ranger | 11/16/2009 - 11:29 PM - (Suggest Removal )

Yeah chalk this one up to the justice system, i mean really this kid was pretty much slapped on the wrist and let go for his previous crimes. What lesson did he learn? Obviously none because he is right back at it. Stop giving these CRIMINALS so many chances. If the justice system was a little less tolerant then maybe these idiots would think twice before committing one crime after another. I would rather use my tax dollars to keep these low life’s off the streets, than to continue to see repeat offenders continue to break the law and even put the rest of us in danger, really he was passed out in front of the gas station which means he had to be driving to get there right….If he was passed out in the car why wasn’t he charged with DUI (of pills or marijuana)? I have read several other stories about people being charged with such in park cars in parking lots…..Oh last thought what does the price of a hamburger at the Hale Springs have to do with this story?

concerned citizen | 11/16/2009 - 9:09 AM - (Suggest Removal )

Mr. McBeau, the city makers and shakers have been working on the rebuilding and restoration of the Hale Springs Inn, a multi-million dollar tax payer funded boondoggle. During this time, and also while putting in fancy taxpayer funded red brick sidewalks for their own businesses that came in double the estimate, they have been ignoring everything going on, such as schools and law enforcement.

Currently, the least expensive meal on the Inn's menu is a $13 hamburger. Drinks, tax and tip are extra.

Jeremiah Jones | 11/15/2009 - 10:36 PM - (Suggest Removal )

I agree with MR. Jones.They should call the times news,the rogersville crime report ,everyday in the times you hear about another incodent (CRIME) about drugs in or around the Wall-Mart parking lot do the police have so much to do in the HUGE town of rogersville that they can't even control that HUGE little area on RT.-66.Do they give away free donuts & coffee at the so called called Toy Inn.And to think that they want to loosen there work load more by cameras at the red lights .This is truley a sad situation,Hey but maybe the police dept is getting paid more money to look the other way?

Avery Johnson | 11/15/2009 - 10:07 PM - (Suggest Removal )

Jeremiah,
What in the hell are you talking about ?.
13.00 Hamburgers caught my attention so I read the article. Did I miss something ?.
You comment so often on so many articles I tend to ignore you.
You have something to say about everything but, do any of us have the time to research everything you say to tie in a damn 13.00 hamburger ?. Not worth my time.
I don't mean this as an insult, just curious.
SM

Seamus McBeau | 11/15/2009 - 5:27 PM - (Suggest Removal )

Rogersville is such a mess. You have the people in charge building monuments to themselves and eating $13 hamburgers at their toy Inn while drug addicts and crazed murderers wander up and down the streets, or hang out in parking lots.

Jeremiah Jones | 11/15/2009 - 2:27 PM - (Suggest Removal )

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