Two suspects allegedly behind a violent carjacking that caused a security scare across Halls schools, are now behind bars, officials said. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest of 32-year-old Tyler Christian and 31-year-old Elizabeth Terry after a manhunt that put local schools on alert, as WBIR reported.
The sequence of events began yesterday afternoon when Knoxville Police Department officers were called to a carjacking on Locust Street at Cafego Place. The victim, Tina McFall, claimed she was there to give Christian and Terry a ride to the KAT bus station when the assault occurred. She described, how she was forcefully evicted from her vehicle, "Next thing you know, he’s jerking my car door open and punching me. He’s pulling me out by the hair of my head. He jumps in the car, and [Terry] is trying to jump in the car, and I keep the car door from opening. She starts hitting me and throwing me on the ground. I’m pretty banged up from it," McFall said, in a statement obtained by WVLT News.
The alleged perpetrators fled from the crime scene in McFall’s car, which still contained her cellphone and other personal items, enabling the victim to track the vehicle's movements. The chase ended when Christian and Terry crashed the stolen car on Andersonville Pike near Emory Road and subsequently took off on foot, according to KPD.
During the manhunt, Halls area schools implemented a soft lockdown as a precautionary measure. The suspects' flight from justice was short-lived, as Terry was apprehended overnight at Tennova North Medical Center, and Christian was located at the Weigel’s at 1506 Emory Road, as WATE reported. The arrests brought an end to the tense situation that had enveloped the community, with parents and school staff on high alert until the all-clear was given by law enforcement.
Both Christian, and Terry are now facing charges of carjacking, with further legal proceedings to follow. Local authorities encouraged anyone with additional information on the crime to come forward as investigations continue. The swift response by law enforcement ensured that no further harm came to the residents of Knoxville, and a semblance of normalcy returned to the Halls schools following the unsettling disruption.
