47-year-old Jeffrey Tomerlin was charged with public intoxication, vandalism, and assault when Vanderbilt University Police tried to help him get checked into the emergency room but he was combatant while yelling the N-word and hit one of them.
On June 25th, Vanderbilt University Police were alerted to a male with a ponytail who was making inappropriate statements to staff members at the clinic. According to affidavits, when officers approached Jeffrey Tomerlin at the emergency room entrance, he smelled strongly of alcohol and was shouting as well as aggressive in posture. At first, he refused to go through a metal detector and once he had, refused to remove items setting it off from his person.
Tomerlin was combatant, threatened officers, and repeatedly yelled “you are niggers” and “nigger lives don’t matter”. When he was warned to be cooperative or he would have to leave, Tomerlin gathered his belongings and headed to the exit. Tomerlin struck Corporal Melgar with a belt and was taken to the ground for the assault. This resulted in the cut on his eyebrow. After being treated and discharged, Jeffrey Tomerlin continued his belligerent behavior. During transport, he smashed his head into the safety cage. Tomerlin was also found to have two active warrants in Murfreesboro.
Jeffrey Tomerlin was arrested and charged with public intoxication, vandalism, and assault. He is currently jailed in lieu of a $9,000 bond.
