5 Decatur Co. businesses cited for selling to minor in undercover beer sting

DECATUR COUNTY, Tenn. — The combination of alcohol and minors can be a deadly mixture.

That’s why one local sheriff is working to make sure businesses aren’t putting it in the hands of anyone under 21.

“No matter what you do, some industrious kid is going to figure out how to get it,” Decatur County Sheriff Keith Byrd said.

But after numerous complaints from concerned parents, Sheriff Byrd’s department conducted an undercover beer sting.

“What they did is they took a 19-year-old, and with her ID took her in some places to buy alcohol,” Byrd said.

Five of 13 businesses sold alcohol to the teenager.

Byrd says those five stores were given citations to appear in court.

“Four of them even looked at her ID and sold to her anyway,” he said.

Investigators say the five businesses are on a six-month probation period, meaning if they sell to a minor again within that time, they could lose their permit to sell alcohol.

“These people were selling these beverages legally, except it was illegal who they sold to,” Byrd said.

Byrd says alcohol can lead to more addictions down the road, and when it comes to underage drinking, early intervention is key.

“Any little thing you can do to slow that down, helps in the long run,” he said.

The name of the five businesses cited in the beer sting have not been released.

Sheriff Byrd says their next court date is set for December.