A man who was removed as a Tellico Plains alderman in 2008, was arrested late Wednesday night after he allegedly attempted to help his son avoid arrest.

Tellico Plains Police Officer Jason Russell said he was pursuing Christopher Shepherd in a red truck when Shepherd pulled into his father's junkyard and took off on foot. Russell exited his patrol car and chased after him.
While Russell was pursuing his son, Wicky Shepherd, 59, Southard Street, Tellico Plains, reportedly turned Russell's emergency lights off, took the keys out of the patrol car and locked the doors. He then moved his son's truck to another spot from where he had left it.

When Russell returned without Christopher Shepherd, he saw what had happened and said Wicky Shepherd approached him and admitted he was the one who did it. Russell told Shepherd he was under arrest and charged him with tampering with evidence.
Russell was chasing Shepherd after he spotted him missing a taillight on the truck around 11:45 p.m. Shepherd does have a past criminal record and reportedly is wanted also for a probation violation.
Wicky Shepherd was removed from the Tellico Board of Alderman in June 2008 after it was discovered he lived just outside the town limits. Shepherd at the time claimed he was living in former alderman J.C. Walker's house, but he never proved that was his residence. He then claimed he would put an RV in town and live in it, but he never did and never appeared for another board meeting. He had been an alderman since 1999.

michael.thomason@advocateanddemocrat.com | 442-4575