At around 5:14 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a carjacking that occurred at the Dollar General at 7407 Middlebrook Pike. The victim, a 27-year-old male, reported that he exited the store and got into his vehicle when a male suspect opened the door of the vehicle, assaulted the victim and fled westbound on Middlebrook in the victim’s vehicle. The victim of the carjacking received medical treatment on the scene.
Shortly after the carjacking occurred, a description of the vehicle was broadcast to patrol units. A KPD officer spotted a vehicle matching the vehicle description on Middlebrook and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, at which time the suspect fled from officers and crashed in the intersection of Middlebrook and Hoyle Beals Drive. The suspect was pronounced deceased on the scene. No other injuries were reported in the crash.
With the crash occurring outside of KPD jurisdiction, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into the crash, while the carjacking is under investigation by the KPD Violent Crimes Unit.