The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two armed robberies that may be related to two others.  The first incident occurred Wednesday night at 10:42 at Mr. Gas at 13065 on Kingston Pike.  A white male entered armed with a gold handled pocket-like knife, came around the counter and demanded money from the clerk.  He said it wasn’t worth dying for and to give him the money.  Another clerk exited the restroom, but was ordered by the suspect to go back.  After getting the money, the suspect made the clerk go into the restroom with the other one and wait at least ten minutes.  The clerks saw the suspect leave in a dark midsize car.

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At 6:10 Thursday morning, the suspect hit the Ken Jo on Campbell Station Road.  He again went behind the counter armed with a knife described as a pocket knife with a five inch blade and demanded money from the clerk.  As in the first robbery, he told her it wasn’t worth dying for and to give him the money.  She did and he forced her into a cooler and told her to wait.  She said she heard a “loud” car leave.

A short time later, a Ken Jo in Roane County was robbed by a man matching the same description. Then at 8:43 a.m. investigators believe the same suspect robbed the Walgreens on Northshore, which is in the city.

The suspect is described as a white male, 5’9” to 5’10”, 25-30 years old, thin, weighing around 130 pounds, and wearing a blue ball cap, blue jeans, and a gray shirt with writing on the front.  KCSO Detectives are working with officers from KPD and Roane County.  If anyone has any information, please call the KCSO at 215-2243 or 911. 

Nineteen year old Wachira Whiteside was arrested late last night in connection with a home invasion at 1501 Willoughby Road in South Knoxville.  Daniel Bounds was asleep on his sofa when, according to the warrant, four black males wearing hooded sweatshirts kicked in the front door of his residence.  One of the assailants struck Bounds in the head with a revolver and held him at gunpoint while the other men ransacked his bedroom.  According to the incident report, they took a Marlin 22 rifle and a flat screen television, both valued at $1,250.00, and fled the residence in an older model silver Buick.

 While one of the officers was responding to the call, he noticed a vehicle crossing Chapman Highway heading East on Blount Avenue that matched the BOLO description of the suspect vehicle.  He initiated a traffic stop, and immediately upon stopping, three black males fled from the vehicle on foot.  The Officer ordered the driver, Wachira Whiteside, to exit the vehicle, upon which time he also fled on foot.  After a brief search Whiteside was taken into custody.  

A search of the vehicle produced the rifle and television that were taken from Bounds’ residence.  Whiteside was charged with Aggravated Burglary, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Evading Arrest, Driving while Privilege Suspended, and Unlawful Use of Plates.  The total bond for all charges is $78,500.00. 

Forty-eight year old Timothy Lee Sellers was arrested Tuesday night and charged with aggravated assault.  The charge stemmed from an incident shortly after 9 p.m. at his parents’ house at 1018 Union School Road in Mascot.  According to the warrant, Sellers’ mother, Katherine Sellers, said he had been drinking beer and taking prescription medication for three days.  Sellers became angry and got a rifle from his parents’ bedroom and put the barrel of the rifle to his father’s head and threatened to kill him.  His mother fled the house with her three year old great granddaughter.  Sellers fired two rounds at the two when they were outside.  Neither was injured.  Seller’s father, Jesse Sellers, was unable to leave the house for health reasons.  

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team was called to the scene because Sellers has a history of aggravated assault and other charges in his criminal history.  He was arrested without incident when his father alerted officers that he taken the gun away when Sellers fell asleep on the couch.   He is being held in the Knox County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

A suspect who tried to run over one of our officers Thursday afternoon has turned himself in.

Officers were serving a search warrant at 3421 Harvey Street around 3:15.  As one of our undercover officers stood in the front yard, 32 year old Sherman Casby approached driving a bright orange Oldsmobile.  The officer identified himself as a KCSO officer and Casby tried to run him down and then pointed a gun at the officer.  The officer fired two rounds at the fleeing car.  The officer was not injured.  The car was found a short time later abandoned at an apartment complex on Cedar Lane with a tire that had been flattened by one round.