A Knoxville man was slapped with multiple charges after police busted him with a stolen handgun during a suspected drug transaction, authorities reported. Trevon Allen, age 21, was apprehended Wednesday on Magnolia Avenue when Knoxville Police Department officers, savvy to the street dealings, witnessed what they deemed to be a narcotics exchange.

Upon further probing into the incident, officers discovered Allen's criminal history, specifically that he had a prior felony conviction. WVLT reported that the man was also found carrying prescription narcotics in addition to the loaded firearm that had been reported stolen from Monroe County.

The Knoxville Police Department commended its officers on social media for their astute teamwork and observation skills, which led to the arrest. "After spotting a man making a suspected hand-to-hand drug transaction in the area of Magnolia Avenue and Bertrand Street at around 2:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon," their Facebook page stated, officers engaged with the individual for further scrutiny.

The charges laid out against Allen include possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and theft of a firearm, among others. According to a statement from the WIVK report, the investigation that ensued after the initial contact with Allen confirmed the suspicions of the Knoxville Police Department regarding the stolen handgun's origins out of Monroe County.

The arrest marks another instance of Knoxville's intensified effort to crack down on gun-related crimes and illegal narcotics distribution as the city grapples with ongoing public safety challenges.