Judge reviews defense’s request for missing search warrant in attempted murder case
HARDEMAN COUNTY, Tenn. – A man charged with two counts of attempted murder was in court on Tuesday, March 17 in Hardeman County General Sessions Court.
Jaquarius Dance is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault in relation to a shooting on February 11, 2026 at Taylor Cove in Bolivar.
Dance appeared in court with his attorney, Mariah McCallister, before Judge Harriett Thompson. McCallister filed a Motion to Compel Discovery requesting a copy of the search warrant and affidavit to obtain the search warrant. The request of the defense was previously denied by the prosecution.
According to the Motion to Compel, “the warrants issued in the Hardeman County General Sessions Court reflect in that a search warrant was obtained and evidence was recovered from a vehicle alleged to belong to Mr. Dance.” The document goes on to say, “the search warrant is specifically mentioned in the probable cause portion of the arrest warrant and as such is subject to disclosure and subject to challenge by the defense as it is a basis for a probable cause finding within the warrants.”
The “defendant has requested a copy of the search warrant and affidavit in support which has been denied by the State under the guise of Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 16 as not subject to disclosure at this time. Upon inquiry with the Clerk of the Court, no search warrant or affidavit was located….Here, it appears that no search warrant and inventory has been filed with the clerk pursuant to Tenn. R. Crim. P. 41 (f)(1) and no copy has been transmitted to the Clerk under Tenn. R. Crim. P. 41(f)(2).” (Motion to Compel)
Assistant District Attorney Joe VanDyke challenged the disclosure of the search warrant and said the prosecution was waiting until the case reached Circuit Court to disclose the requested documents.
Judge Thompson said the Motion to Compel cited specific court cases that she would need time to review and did not make a decision on the Motion. She said she would take up the Motion on April 14th and make her ruling.
According to the affidavit, Bolivar Police Department was dispatched to the 100 block of Taylor Cove in Bolivar after receiving multiple calls regarding shots fired. “Officers arrived on scene and observed two subjects suffering from gunshot wounds. The two victims were identified as Mr. Kejaun Wilkes and Mr. Jorvontal Polk. Mr. Polk had been shot in the right side of his chest under his arm and right bicep. Medical treatment was given to Mr. Polk by members of the Bolivar Police Department until EMS arrived on scene.”
Wilkes, the second victim, was shot in the arm according to the affidavit.
Bolivar Police Department Criminal Investigators arrived on the scene and, according to the affidavit, started interviewing neighbors and witnesses. One investigator spoke to someone living in the 100 block of Taylor Cove and the resident told investigators her house was hit during the exchange of gunfire.
“The residence was found to have been hit in the front corner on the east side. There were two holes in the wall. These bullets went through the wall and into the house,” according to the affidavit. The resident told investigators that “she had been sitting in her recliner, and the bullet came through the wall and then struck her laptop, which was in her lap at the time. This bullet went through the laptop and landed in the hall where the bullet was located. In this same room where the bullet entered, there was a small child (LW), who was playing between the wall and the laptop.”
Another resident told investigators he was outside when the shooting started and saw “Mr. Polk laying on the ground and yelling for his mother. There was another male who was shooting back from the fence/driveway area.” The resident took cover until the gunfire ended, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit continues by stating the Bolivar Police Department located 9mm shell casings in the backyard and carport area of the home. They also recovered 40mm shell cases.
Investigators said they obtained a search warrant for the home and located a 40-caliber handgun in a kitchen drawer believed to belong to Wilkes. According to the affidavit, police viewed Sky Cop camera footage and identified a black Nissan Altima in the area of the shooting that arrived just shortly before the shooting started and then left after it ended.
“The vehicle is then observed leaving the City of Bolivar a short time later and traveling toward Jackson, Tennessee. Contact was made with the Jackson Police Department and with the utilization of Flock Camera Systems, Jackson Police Department was able to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Jaquarius Dance. Mr. Dance was placed on an investigative hold by the Jackson Police Department. A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle, and investigators observed one spent 9mm shell casing inside the vehicle. The shell casing matched the 9mm casings which were under the carport and in the backyard,” according to the affidavit.
It is this search warrant that the defense is seeking to obtain and, at this time, has been denied by the District Attorney’s office.
Dance is scheduled to appear back in Hardeman County General Sessions court on April 14th for a hearing regarding the defense’s Motion to Compel in an effort to obtain the search warrant and affidavit to obtain the search warrant that allowed investigators to search the vehicle.
Dance’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 20th in Hardeman County General Sessions Court.
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