Chaos erupted in South Knoxville yesterday as 39-year-old Jerad Morrell initiated a cat-and-mouse chase with the local law enforcement, resulting in multiple charges including felony evading arrest. In a press release provided by the Knoxville Police Department, it's detailed how the pursuit began after officers responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked at the Executive Inn on Chapman Highway around 5:15 p.m.
The situation quickly escalated when police approached the silver van where Morrell and one Stephanie Epperson, 35, identified in the van. Refusing to comply with the officers' instruction to exit the vehicle, Jerad Morrell instead thrust himself into the driver's seat and reversed the vehicle at a speed that nearly missed hitting an officer on the scene. Officers in pursuit of the fleeing van eventually called off the chase for safety reasons, only for Morrell to crash into another vehicle further down the road.
Morrell didn't stop there; after the collision at Stone Road intersection, he continued driving a short distance before abandoning the van and attempting escape on foot. The chase came to a close when officers caught up with him on Judith Drive. A search of the vehicle turned up not just a loaded handgun, but also suspected crack cocaine and a trove of technology including 18 computers and smart phones.
The aftermath of Morrell's attempted getaway left more than just property damage in its wake. An innocent driver, caught up in the crash caused by Morrell, was sent to the UT Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Knoxville Police Department. Tracking down Morrell, an officer ended up hurt during the foot pursuit and received treatment at a hospital. Now Morrell faces serious charges which include schedule II drugs, possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, among others. His companion, Epperson, didn't leave the scene unscathed either, getting charged with possession of schedule II drugs and drug paraphernalia.
