Cookeville Police responded to a call late Thursday night concerning a strong chemical odor coming from an apartment complex on Benton Young Road, which turned out to be an operating meth lab.

“When we were walking up to the residence, I could see a female looking out the living room window. Just as we approached the apartment, I observed Jackie Cleghorn walk out of the apartment. Officer Butler went to speak with Mr. Cleghorn and I knocked on the apartment door. I could hear movement inside the apartment and the door was opened by Tommy Cleghorn,” said Officer Chase Mathis.

Immediately, officers smelled a very strong chemical odor they had smelled several times before associated with meth labs.

“Due to the seriousness of the dangers involved with meth labs, I entered to get all of the occupants out of the apartment. Ms. Weaver was exiting the bathroom area when I entered the apartment,” said Officer Mathis.

The items found in the bathroom included: a coffee pot with cloudy liquid inside, a Pyrex dish with a two layer substance, hydrogen peroxide and a coffee filter containing a red clumped substance believed to be red phosphorous, said Officer Mathis.

After removing the occupants from the apartment, officers found a rubber stopper that had a clear tube coming out of it on the living room floor and several bottles of antifreeze in the kitchen, along with tincture of iodine.

Outside, Ms. Weaver gave officers a written statement.

“Ms. Weaver told me that Jackie and Tommy were in the bathroom together. She said that they had been in there for approximately twenty minutes, and that she was the person looking out the living room window. She also said that when she saw us approaching, she went to the bathroom to tell Jackie and Tommy that the police were outside. She said that Jackie then walked outside,” said Officer Mathis.

Ms Weaver told officers that the reason she was in the bathroom was to spray air freshener to cover up the odor after watching Tommy Cleghorn pour a red colored substance down the toilet.

“Ms. Weaver said that Jackie also carried a black trash bag outside the apartment and placed it into her car, which she gave permission to search,” said Officer Mathis.

The trash bag contained matchbooks, striker plates and empty pseudo-ephedrine boxes.

Ms. Weaver told officers that she only uses meth every now and then.

Jackie Cleghorn told officers that he had never been in the apartment, but instead he was outside knocking on the door but no one answered.

But his brother Tommy told officers a different story.

“Tommy stated to me that his brother Jackie had no where to stay and he allowed him to stay in the apartment on this night. He said that he knew Jackie was “cooking” and did not know why he even got involved,” said Officer Mathis.

All occupants of the apartment building were notified of the meth lab and the Cookeville Fire Department was called to ventilate the apartment.

The Middle Tennessee Task Force brought out a support truck for officers to use in breaking the meth lab down.