Red Bank law enforcement officers who helped solve a March 6 home invasion on Knollwood Drive received commendations Tuesday night during the regular town council meeting.

And Mayor Joe Glasscock took advantage of the opportunity to point out that it was one of Red Bank’s much-maligned traffic cameras that provided investigators with information key to apprehension of the defendants: the number on the license plate of the old black Camaro in which they had fled.

Red Bank Police reportedly pored over four hours of footage from the camera at the intersection of Ashland Terrace and Dayton Boulevard in order to locate the Blount County tag.

People who are quick to lambaste the town for putting in traffic cameras, the mayor said, should be equally willing to take note when the cameras help solve violent crimes such as a home invasion.

Earlier this week, on Monday, the four defendants – all residents of Blount County – appeared in Red Bank City Court. Their bonds are set at $1.3 million each.

Those charged include Steve Hannah, who allegedly impersonated a census taker in order to gain access to the victim’s home, and three female accomplices: Brandie Brandon, Mona Ray and Misty Wilson.

Each of the four is charged with especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated burglary, especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy.

Sgt. Dan Knight said a neighbor reported seeing a suspicious vehicle on a Friday night in which he said Hannah carried out a burglary in Red Bank. He said the home invasion was the next morning.

He said after getting the report from the neighbor of a black Camaro, he began checking through the video of the red light at Dayton Boulevard and Ashland Terrace.

Sgt. Knight said it showed the black Camaro on both Friday night and Saturday morning. He said it showed a drive-out tag and it helped nail down the model of the Camaro.

He said police had some names of possible suspects from Blount County and learned that the suspects had bought a black Camaro. He said Blount County officers stopped the vehicle for a traffic infraction on that Saturday after the home invasion, but let it go.

He said a BOLO was put out for the black Camaro and it was spotted by Sevierville Police. He said some items from the Red Bank home invasion were in the car when it was stopped.