CLEVELAND - White County Sheriff Neal Walden has requested that Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jeff Langley not pursue the charges filed again Shannon Hamilton.
The announcement came Friday afternoon. Hamilton, the father of a teen killed in a wreck on March 15, was arrested April 12th when he attempted to install a temporary gravel berm on the side of the road. That spot on the road is where the car his daughter Cecily was in ran off the road and plunged into Town Creek last month. Hamilton was charged with interference with government property.
Sheriff Walden said he has written a letter to the DA telling him that they have, “thoroughly reviewed the totality of the events and circumstances in this situation." The letter states "this tragedy has affected an entire community, most greatly the Hamilton and Swing families.”
"We recognize Mr. Hamilton acted and chose to violate the law, however, this was extenuating circumstances coupled with grief and emotion," the sheriff said. "Clearly his cause was right, but his method wrong."
Walden said for these reasons and the totality of the circumstances, the White County Sheriff’s Office offers no objection and asked not pursue charges against Mr. Shannon Hamilton. The final decision on perusing the charges will be up to the District Attorney.
Since the fatal accident, White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner said guard rails would be installed at Gene Nix Road bridge. Temporary concrete barriers were installed this past Wednesday and chairman Turner advised Friday morning the guard rail company will be installing the permanent guard rails on Tuesday, April 28th.
Turner met with Hamilton on Wednesday at the bridge after the temporary barriers were put in place. He said their meeting was positive and he hopes it was first step to a healing process in this situation.
