Blog: KPD News & Alerts

Fourth of July Weekend Report

Two Juveniles Arrested for Carjacking

On July 4 at about 2 p.m., KPD officers responded to a carjacking that occurred in the parking lot of the Food City located at 1950 Western Avenue. The 52-year-old female victim stated that as she was walking to her vehicle she was approached by a female suspect, who pulled a firearm and threatened the victim. The suspect then asked the victim for the keys to her vehicle. After the victim complied, a fight ensued. The initial suspect and a second suspect began to strike the victim with a closed fist and eventually fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, a blue 2014 Ford Focus.

Nearby officers observed the vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit continued until the vehicle eventually lost control and crashed in the Boys & Girls Club parking lot near Baxter Avenue. Both suspects fled again on foot after the vehicle crashed, but were ultimately taken into custody without incident by officers. The suspects were both identified as 15-year-old females. They were charged with Carjacking, Aggravated Assault and Evading Arrest.

21-Year-Old Suspect Arrested Following Disturbance at Rocky Top Market

On July 5 at around 5:10 a.m., officers were dispatched to a disturbance involving a firearm at the Rocky Top Market located at 2001 Cumberland Avenue. The complainant advised that a white male suspect brandished a firearm in the store. Upon arrival, the store clerk told officers that the suspect had fled the area in a maroon SUV. Officers also observed surveillance footage of the incident, which showed the suspect point the handgun in the clerk’s direction. Upon exiting the store, the suspect began arguing and brandished the handgun towards a group of people in the parking lot.

Officers circulating the area observed the vehicle traveling west on Cumberland Avenue near 11th Street. Officers conducted a felony stop on the vehicle near the intersection of Cumberland Avenue and James Agee Street. The suspect was located in the back seat on the passenger side, while the handgun used during the incident was located in the floorboard area where the defendant was sitting. The four additional occupants of the vehicle were released, while 21-year-old Ricky Spencer was charged with Possession of a Handgun While Under the Influence, Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication. The store declined to press additional charges.

37-Year-Old Suspect Arrested Following Pursuit

On Sunday, July 5 at around 3:20 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of Olive Street and Magnolia Avenue in reference to a drunk driver. After arriving on scene, officers observed the suspect asleep in the driver’s seat of a Chevrolet Silverado. Officers observed the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Kevin Dragg, fail to proceed through the intersection and miss several light cycles. After initiating a traffic stop and attempting to knock on the windows of the truck, the suspect woke up and accelerated through the light at a high rate of speed.

The suspect continued to flee south on Olive Street, running through the red light located at the intersection. The suspect turned left to head eastbound on Parkview Avenue, where he nearly hit a bystander. The suspect continued to flee until he wrecked the vehicle on Dodson Avenue, exited the vehicle and threw a rifle over the fence in the 2300 block of Dodson Avenue. He continued to flee westbound on foot until he was eventually taken into custody without further incident.

A subsequent search of the area, the suspect’s person and the vehicle yielded a black rifle, an undisclosed denomination of U.S. currency and a large quantity of presumed marijuana.

Dragg was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, DUI, Evading Arrest, Reckless Endangerment and Manufacture/Delivery/Sell of Controlled Substance among other charges.

Possible Firework-Caused Arson on Keith Avenue

On July 4 at about 7:25 p.m., KPD officers responded to assist the Knoxville Fire Department at a residence in the 2100 block of Keith Avenue, where a garage was on fire. KFD advised that no persons were inside at the time of the fire. Witnesses stated that they observed several subjects in a gold Toyota Camry driving down the road shooting fireworks out of the car. Witnesses also indicated that they observed a black Ford Fusion driving with the Camry shooting fireworks from the vehicle as well. While on scene officers found three spent roman candle tubes laying in the road on Beaumont Avenue near Bowling.

While on scene, officers were flagged down by a citizen who lives in the 1200 block of Pickett Avenue, who stated that a gold Toyota Camry drove by her house and shot off fireworks in the direction of her residence. She then examined her house and observed a large burn mark in her siding where the firework had landed.

After clearing the scene at Keith Avenue, officers located a gold Toyota Camry with multiple occupants on Mercer Avenue near Baxter Avenue. Additional officers responded to the scene to investigate the vehicle and its occupants. Officers observed five occupants in the vehicle and several fireworks in plain view, and conducted a search of the vehicle. That search revealed several different types of fireworks, which were confiscated. Officers estimated that approximately 50 pounds of fireworks were confiscated from the vehicle.

The complainant from Pickett Avenue arrived on scene and positively identified the car as the same one that had shot fireworks at her residence. An arrest was not made on scene as there were no witnesses that could identify a specific person that shot the firework. The KFD Arson Unit will conduct the follow-up investigation.

Additional Firework-Related Incidents

At 7:56 p.m. on July 4, officers responded to a vandalism that occurred at a residence in the 700 block of Monroe Senter Street. The complainant called to report that an unknown suspect had shot fireworks at her house, breaking the window on the side of her house. The victim did not see the suspect who fired the firework, but stated there were numerous juveniles in the area shooting them off.

At around 9:30 p.m., officers responded to a vandalism at a residence in the 300 block of S. Chestnut Street. The complainant advised officers that an unknown suspect had spontaneously fired several bottle rocket type fireworks towards her residence, which entered the residence through the front door. The victim stated that the fireworks ended up striking and damaging some of the dry wall inside of her residence. Nobody was struck or injured by the fireworks. The victim was unable to provide possible suspect or vehicle descriptions, while officers were unable to locate any potential witnesses that could assist in the investigation.

Posted by serland On 06 July, 2020 at 9:42 AM