The Knoxville Fire department is investigating a Labor Day house fire in East Knoxville.
Crews were called to the 4000 block of Catalpa Avenue yesterday morning and found heavy fire and smoke coming from two windows of the house. A fire was discovered in a bedroom and crews quickly put the fire out but the home has suffered significant smoke, water, and fire damage.
Four people, two adults and two children, were at home at the time of the fire and were able to escape without injury. Two adults and two children were in the home.
The American Red Cross is providing assistance to those residents.
Update: An arrest is made after Knoxville Police find a man in his bed with a pick-axe stuck in his skull.
KPD was called to a home in the 1000 block of Morrell Road on Sunday and found the victim who is in critical condition. Witnesses told police the suspect, Jeinison Hernandez-Moran, hit the victim multiple times with the axe, then fled but turned himself into police at the scene. It’s believed he knows the victim.
He is charged with attempted second-degree murder. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Original Story: The Knoxville Police Department is investigating an assault in West Knoxville leaving a victim is in critical condition.
The assault happened at a home in the 1000 block of Morrell Road on Sunday and KPD says the victim was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Additionally, a suspect, later identified at Jeinson Hernandez-Moran, and several witnesses were detained for questioning.
Hernandez-Moran was charged with attempted second-degree murder.
KPD says the assault doesn’t appear to be random in nature as the victim and suspect, both of whom are adult men, knew each other.
Today (Sunday), Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers S. Goode and S. Kearney assisted the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office in apprehending Johnna Miracle. Miracle had been placed on the @TBInvestigation’s Most Wanted List for Attempted 1st Degree Murder.
This comes after a woman was shot and stabbed in the Shawanee Community Wednesday, who was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Sheriff Bob Brooks says an arrest warrant was issued for Miracle for attempted first-degree murder, and on Friday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a TN Most Wanted Alert for her.
Miracle was arrested at a home near the intersection of Sunset Acres and Red Hill Road. Miracle, who Brooks said tried to change her appearance, was taken to Claiborne County Jail and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
The Claiborne Co. Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division is investigating the incident.
An investigation is underway after a paramedic is killed and another injured in a Jefferson County crash. The Tennessee Department of Transportation says it happened on I-40 West and that a tractor-trailer was also involved in the crash.
Brad Phillips, the Jefferson County EMS director, says the crash happened around 9:30 p.m. Saturday on I-40 near the I-81 interchange.
Phillips says the ambulance was responding to a report of a crash with injuries in the area when it was hit by the commercial vehicle.
A preliminary report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol says the ambulance was traveling southbound on I-81 and the tractor-trailer was on I-40 West as it merged with I-81.
The ambulance, which had its emergency lights on, turned in front of the tractor-trailer as it tried to access I-40 East at a small crossover, resulting in the crash, according to THP.
Phillips says the ambulance had two Jefferson County paramedics on board, Jeremy Sutton and Sarah Brooks, both of whom were injured and taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Sutton had “severe injuries” and died shortly after arriving at the hospital, Phillips said. He added that Brooks is still in the hospital in stable condition.
The preliminary report says neither Sutton nor Brooks were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The driver of the commercial vehicle, a 67-year-old man from Georgia, was wearing a seatbelt and not injured.
THP is continuing to investigate the crash, and according to the preliminary report, possible charges against both drivers are pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
After the crash Saturday night, Jefferson County Mayor Mark Potts and several other agencies released statements regarding Sutton’s death.
Jefferson County mourns the loss of Paramedic Jeremy Sutton who passed away last night as a result of an ambulance accident while on duty. Our prayers and sympathy are extended to his family and to all our public safety employees.
Also, remember Paramedic Sarah Brooks who was also injured in the accident. We pray for Sarah and her family.
Thank you to all the public safety agencies who assisted last evening.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville, Gatlinburg and Sevierville are up for recognition from Blue Ridge Outdoors!
All three cities are up for different categories in an audience-decided “Adventure Towns” contest.
Blue Ridge Outdoors began the contest with 100 contenders, narrowing it down to just a select few.
Now, people can vote for in third round of the contest. Gatlinburg is up for best Small Adventure Town, with Sevierville and Knoxville competing for medium and large, respectively.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man has been sentenced to decades in prison in a kidnapping and assault case from 2023.
The District Attorney’s office says 62-year-old Merv Conley Rodgers was convicted of especially aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and two counts of aggravated assault in connection to a fight with his girlfriend in June 2023.
According to court records, the fight got out of control, and Rodgers ended up strangling his girlfriend multiple times, hitting her with a baseball bat and keeping her inside the van he was living in overnight against her will.
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Merv Conley Rogers, 62 (Courtesy: DA Charme Allen’s Office)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The investigation into a reported school threat results in a 13-year-old boy being charged for threat of mass violence.
Wednesday night, the Knoxville Police Department was notified that this 13 year-old had allegedly threatened to bring a gun to Ridgedale School and shoot someone.
KPD officers and detectives took him into custody at his home late in the evening Wednesday.
KPD Chief Paul Noel says they will have zero tolerance for those who make threats of violence towards our schools.
“We will have zero tolerance for those who make threats of violence towards our schools,” Chief Paul Noel said. “I am grateful for the quick intervention of our officers and law enforcement partners after being notified of this threat.”
The student was taken into custody, police said. He’s been charged with making a threat of mass violence. (Courtesy: KPD)
Gatlinburg, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: 8/29: Efforts continue Thursday to suppress a fire that broke out earlier this week in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Park officials say the Flint Gap Fire has now grown to about 23 acres and is burning primarily in undergrowth in steep terrain.
The National Guard is helping fight the blaze and firefighters Thursday called-in additional suppression modules as well.
Some campsites, trails and a road remain closed; officials say no structures are threatened.
See below for the current list of area closures.
UPDATE 8/28: Several campsites, trails, and a road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remain closed as a small fire which broke out Tuesday has now grown in size.
Park officials say the fire which was about two acres large, has since grown to about 10 acres. Crews have been ordered to fight the blaze from both the air and the ground. Officials add that the Tennessee National Guard is helping fight the fire.
Officials say no structures are threatened at this time, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
See below for the current list of area closures.
ORIGINAL STORY: A small fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has prompted the closure of some campsites, trails and a road.
Park officials say the fire is about two acres large and crews have been ordered to fight it from both the air and the ground.
So far, the following areas have closed:
Backcountry campsites 14, 15 and 16
Parson Branch Road
Rabbit Creek Trail from Abrams Creek to Cades Cove
Hannah Mountain Trail from Parson Branch Road to Little Bottom Trail
Officials say no structures are threatened at this time.
Fire in Great Smoky Mountains prompts closures (Courtesy: GSMNP)
Austin-East High School and Vine Middle School placed on medium lockdown according to representatives with Knox County Schools.
The schools were placed on lockdown because of an operation in the area by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office yesterday (Wednesday). The lockdowns were lifted, but students were dismissed late.
