The Knoxville Police Department has publicly released body-camera footage capturing the sequence of events leading up to a police shooting that occurred on the 2600 block of Fairview Street last Tuesday. Authorities responded to the area following 9-1-1 calls about a disturbance involving a man with an axe.
Officers Eric Smith and Alexandra Burns were the first to arrive at the scene shortly before 1:15 p.m. to confront Christopher Arons, the 52-year-old man involved in the incident. During the confrontation, Arons was shot and subsequently transported to UT Medical Center. Despite the seriousness of the shooting, Arons is progressing towards recovery and has been charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and vandalism.
The video footage, which includes graphic content, has been released in accordance with Knoxville Police Department policy. The policy aims to provide transparency to the community by sharing details of critical incidents promptly. Viewers are advised that the video contains potentially disturbing images.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is carrying out an independent probe into the shooting. At the same time, the Knoxville Police Department Office of Professional Standards is conducting an internal administrative investigation. While these inquiries continue, both Officer Smith and Officer Burns have been placed on routine administrative leave.
