ELIZABETHTON — Carter County deputies said a father and son were arrested Monday evening when they were caught red handed manufacturing methamphetamine.Gary Scott Carr Sr., 54, who was described as homeless, and his son, Gary Scott Carr Jr., 25, Maiden, N.C., were each charged with initiation of the process intended to result in the manufacture of methamphetamine and promotion of methamphetamine manufacture. Carr Sr. was also charged with theft under $500 and criminal trespassing.Deputies said they made the meth lab discovery while they were on a routine trip to 203 Laurels Road, Johnson City to serve outstanding arrest warrants on the resident, April Cassandra Fields, 24.When the officers arrived at Fields’ residence, they noticed a metal shed at the end of the driveway with a light on inside and they observed movement. The deputies went to the door of the shed and smelled a chemical odor and saw smoke coming out of the door.Sgt. Harmon Duncan reported that when officers opened the door they found Carr Jr. holding a “gasser” bottle, gassing off a container of meth oil. The deputies ordered the two men to get out of the building. The deputies could see a 2 liter bottle and a 20-ounce plastic bottle on the floor which contained white residue. There were two other plastic bottles on a table with tubes running through their caps, emitting a smoky vapor.With the discovery, Lt. Ken Cornett called in certified lab technicians to neutralize the operation and confirm his findings. Duncan and Capt. Mike Little responded. Little found drain cleaner, ammonium nitrate, salt, cut lithium batteries, filtering materials and other paraphernalia in the shed.The Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force Disposal Unit, Carter County Rescue Squad and the West Carter County Volunteer Fire Department responded and decontaminated the two men and Fields.Fields had been taken into custody on the outstanding warrants charging her with violation of probation and failure to appear on a driving on suspended license charge.The metal shed was quarantined. Duncan said Fields’ residence was about 50 yards away from the shed, across a creek and a bridge. It was not quarantined.Inside the residence, deputies found three more adults. One of the adults was with his 4-year-old son. Another adult was with her four children, who were between 2 and 6 years old. Duncan said the investigation and evidence led him to the finding that no part of the residence was used to manufacture methamphetamine and the children were not exposed to the meth lab across the creek.Duncan said his investigation led to the discovery that Carr Sr. had made 14 purchases of cold medicine containing psudoephedrine during the past year and Carr Jr. had made 7 purchases. Psuedoephedrine is a key ingredient in manufacturing methamphetamine.Duncan said the investigation is continuing and more charges are pending.
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