28-year-old Cookeville veterinarian Michael Ryan Copeland was taken into custody for a sexual battery incident that happened on May 14th, 2022. Copeland and his male friend met two other females at Tin Roof Bar on Demonbreun Street, where they had drinks. While at the bar, one of the females invited his friend to her apartment across the street, so they left. While they were headed there, one of the females was heavily intoxicated, so they assisted her and carried her the rest of the way. Once everyone was inside, the drunk female became “violently ill” and started vomiting, so her friend bathed her, dressed her in clean clothes, and then went back to her room with Copeland’s friend once Copeland volunteered to watch over the drunk female just in case she vomited or aspirated.
Her memory of the events was largely missing due to her intoxication level; however, she clearly remembers waking up in the middle of the night to Copeland touching her vagina, making skin-to-skin contact with his hand in her underwear, asking if she had “liked it,” which was when she told him to stop. She fell asleep and woke up the next morning with Copeland beside her. She added that her shorts were removed, and she woke up only wearing a shirt and underwear. She demanded to know where her clothes were, and Copeland retrieved them from the couch near her feet.
The victim left and contacted the police to file a report of sexual assault. A Medical-Legal Examination, MLE, was conducted, and they drew her blood, where they discovered she still had alcohol in her system several hours after the prior evening. In March 2024, detectives contacted her, and she identified Copeland in a photo lineup, adding that she wished to seek prosecution for the incident. When they reached out to him, he refused to provide a statement, so they spoke with the other individuals who were there that night, who confirmed Copeland was on the couch with the victim. He was booked on March 28th, 2024.
Michael Ryan Copeland of Ferguson Ave in Cookville, TN, was booked into the Metro Nashville Jail on March 28th, charged with sexual battery. He is free on a $2,500 bond.
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