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Andrews – A Macon County woman has been ordered to stay away from a 16-year-old Andrews High School student who she dated while serving as an officer with the Andrews Police Department.
Courtney Heaton was served with a domestic violence protective order after allegedly stalking the 16-year-old girl she dated and “continued harassment and threats of self harm and harm to others.” A hearing was held May 30 before a magistrate at the Cherokee County Courthouse; the order was effective June 1.
The magistrate concluded that Heaton committed acts of domestic violence, that there appears to be a danger of acts of domestic violence, and that the child is exposed to substantial risk of physical and emotional injury as well as sexual assault. She was ordered to stay away from the plaintiff “any place the plaintiff may be,” as well as not assault, threaten, abuse, follow, harass or interfere with the plaintiff or threaten her family.
Heaton was required to surrender all firearms, ammunition and gun permits in her possession, but may continue to possess or use a firearm for official use. While she was listed as an Andrews resident, Heaton lives on Little Choga Road in neighboring Macon County near Andrews.
Heaton resigned from the Andrews Police Department in mid-May, about two weeks before the hearing; her current employment status is unknown. Andrews Town Administrator Tammy Holloway said Heaton is ineligible for rehire, and the town decertified her law enforcement status.
The relationship between the two was described as “currently or formerly in dating.” The Cherokee Scout will not identify the name of the victim, who is a minor and the alleged victim of sexual assault.
Heaton was a deputy with the Graham County Sheriff’s Office in June 2021 and married to J.J. Wooten, then a captain with the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, when she shot and killed a motorist following a car chase after which the driver – Mickey Ray Rice, 31, of Dickson, Tenn. – brandished a BB gun. She started working at the Andrews Police
Department in September 2022, 15 months after the shooting.
Heaton began following and stalking the child starting in January after taking her on a ride-along in December 2022, according to Cherokee County court documents.
Accusations included the child “placed in fear of continued harassment that rises to such a level as to inflict substantial emotional distress.” The plaintiff also alleged that sexual battery had taken place.
Starting in January, Heaton had been coming to Andrews High School to visit the girl, “bringing her lunch and inappropriately touching and kissing in the hallway,” according to court documents.
“Principal Lance Bristol asked Courtney to have a meeting about her not to be back at the high school unless she was dispatched. Principal
Bristol also notified myself and my wife of this issue. We then notified Courtney that she was to have no more contact. …
“The following Thursday she was back at the school bringing lunch (to the child) at her car in the parking lot. When we were notified of this we again told her to stop contact.”
On two separate dates in January, Heaton came to events the child was involved in, according to the court documents.
“My wife told her at the first (event) in January that her being there without having kids was inappropriate and she didn’t need to be there or contacting (the child).
“The second time in January she had showed up to a home (event). … Around this time we found out that in December of 2022 Courtney took (the child) on a ride-along without our knowing or permission.”
“On or around the end of March, Courtney said she would kill anyone who tried to get in between herself” and the child, according to the father’s statement. “Courtney has told my wife … that she was looking for a place to blow her brains out (while in her patrol vehicle on duty) … in Andrews on Tuesday, Feb. 7.”
Later, the father and two younger children were out for a drive and found Heaton, in uniform and on duty, with his daughter in the front seat of Heaton’s patrol car.
“Her supervisor was notified and showed up with the assistant chief of police, who told Courtney to again stop all contact (with the child). Also, I myself and my wife told her to stop all contact (with the child).”
Heaton showed up at a church youth revival in April and hugged the child against her protestations. In mid-April, the two met at a local store so Heaton could buy her a cell phone “so they could talk without (the child’s) parents knowing.”
The parents found the secret phone on May 9 and again warned Heaton to stay away. This time, they also contacted the Andrews Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation.
Heaton resigned from the Andrews Police Department around May 12, according to Holloway.
The consequences of the ordeal have been ongoing for the child and her family.
“We have had to miss work, get (our child) a counselor, and have been under so much stress due to the actions of Courtney Wooten,” the father wrote in his court filing. “She has caused my family so much heartache and trouble over the past six months.”