NASHVILLE --- Tennessee State Troopers arrested a Kentucky man who has been a fugitive from justice for almost a year on Thursday, September 3, 2009. Trooper Michael Wilson located and arrested Scottie L. Baird, 29, after stopping a vehicle on I-75 in Knox County at approximately 9:30 a.m. Trooper Wilson, who is a member of the THP’s Knoxville District Interdiction Plus Team, said Baird was wanted by the Kentucky State Police on three felony indictments including theft and being a “second degree persistent felony offender.”
Baird first drew attention to himself in December 2008 when he provided suspicious information to Troopers who were investigating a traffic crash in Campbell County, Tennessee. Trooper Wilson said that Baird had eluded law enforcement officials for almost nine months by moving frequently. He and his family had been living in the Pioneer community for the past several months. According to Wilson, additional charges are pending in this case, including harboring a fugitive.
Kentucky State Police Lieutenant Eric Wolford said, “We were very excited to learn of THP’s arrest of Scottie Baird, who was the number one most wanted fugitive out of the 11-county region served by KSP Post 15. The outstanding work of Trooper Wilson, and the other Tennessee State Troopers who supported him, was paramount to the apprehension of Baird.”
“This is just an example of the frequent excellent work of State Troopers,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Mike Walker. “Trooper Michael Wilson is one of our Interdiction Plus program Troopers who goes to work every day, looking beyond the ticket. Commissioner Dave Mitchell and I are very proud of the work being done by all our Troopers, but especially those assigned to Interdiction Plus. Not only do they help keep our highways safer, they also help keep our communities safer from the criminal element.”
The Interdiction Plus program is a statewide law enforcement initiative led by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Initiated in fall 2007, Interdiction Plus is the “brain-child” of U.S. Attorney James R. “Russ” Dedrick and Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell. Partners in the program include almost 300 officers from 115 local law enforcement agencies across Tennessee. These officers are dedicated to the interdiction of all crimes, threats, and hazards. Officers are specially trained to work closely in gathering and sharing criminal information, and “looking beyond the ticket.”
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.