An 18-year-old man wanted for attempted first-degree murder was arrested in Knoxville following a targeted operation by local law enforcement. Michael Thomas, the suspect connected to a drive-by shooting that injured a 41-year-old man last October, was taken into custody on Thursday evening by members of the Knoxville Police Department’s Community Engagement Response Team, according to a release from the Knoxville Police Department.
The arrest was the result of a tip from East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers and subsequent investigative work carried out by the KPD Homicide Unit. The drive-by shooting, which Thomas is accused of perpetrating, occurred in the 3700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue on October 13, 2024. Upon being located at a residence on Lilac Avenue, Thomas attempted to flee the officers but was apprehended after a short chase during which he discarded a backpack.
Within the backpack Thomas threw away, officers discovered a substantial amount of drugs. The recovered items included nearly 70 grams of cocaine and over six grams of crack cocaine, in addition to drug paraphernalia and an excess of $800 believed to be the proceeds of drug transactions.
More updates on the case are expected as the judicial process moves forward, as the investigation by the authorities continues to unfold.
