Man arrested after Putnam County LPR camera destroyed

PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — After three expensive license plate recognition (LPR) units were destroyed in as many months, Putnam County deputies arrested a 21-year-old man who admitted to running over one of the cameras.

Eighteen cameras are positioned throughout Putnam County to help law enforcement identify license plates and vehicles that belong to wanted people.

Body camera footage shows the interaction between members of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office and the suspect, Matthew Helm, at his home on Tuesday, Nov. 5 after a $6,000 LPR camera nearby was destroyed earlier in the day.

"We've had a camera that was run over right at the end of your road...Somebody told us it was you and your white Jeep," a deputy told Helm.

The 21-year-old admitted he ran over the unit near his house. He claimed it was an accident, but law enforcement didn't buy that story.

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"The LPRs are off the road. They're required to be off the road so far in a certain area," Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris said.

Farris reported the LPRs are positioned strategically in safe locations approved by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), keeping them away from traffic.

According to Farris, the same LPR unit near Helm's home was destroyed twice before, in July and September: "We kept noticing this one particular LPR kept getting ran over."

The sheriff said the camera was destroyed in a way that investigators knew was not accidental. A vehicle would slowly pull up to the pole, from the back side of the camera, and then use a large bumper or push bar to knock it over before backing away without being detected by the camera.

In order to catch the culprit, authorities laid a trap by positioning a spike strip in a safe manner around the LPR camera. Meanwhile, investigators developed intel that Helm could be their vandalism suspect.

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Then, after the pole was destroyed for the third time on Tuesday, deputies went to Helm's home.

When law enforcement checked Helm's Jeep — which had a push bar on the front — they discovered his tire was not only flat, but it was also full of the detachable prongs from the spike strip.

Farris told News 2 that Helm is a suspect in the other two crimes, as well as Tuesday's vandalism: "We do believe he's probably most likely responsible for the other two."

Helm was charged with multiple offenses, including vandalism and leaving the scene of an accident. According to inmate records from the sheriff's office, he was released Tuesday afternoon on an $11,500 bond. Helm is due in court on Dec. 16.

Meanwhile, Farris said the damage to the three LPR systems cost more than $10,000. The motive for the crimes is still under investigation.