A Sevier County judge has thrown out a criminal charge against a Knoxville police officer, wiping away the county-level case that followed the officer’s December arrest. The decision ends the prosecution in Sevier County, although the Knoxville Police Department’s internal review of the officer’s conduct is still very much alive.
Sevier County case dismissed
Prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the charge, and a judge signed off on that paperwork on Tuesday, according to WATE. The station reported the dismissal but noted that a detailed explanation for the move did not appear in the public record of the case.
How the arrest unfolded
The officer’s legal trouble began on Dec. 1, when Sevier County deputies responded to a home on E. Alder Branch Road in Sevierville and took him into custody, according to reporting by WVLT. Court documents described by the outlet stated that the alleged victim, identified as a family member, reported the officer placed them in a choke hold and that they briefly lost consciousness.
KPD response and the officer’s background
Following the arrest, the Knoxville Police Department stripped the officer of his police powers and reassigned him while the department’s Office of Professional Standards opened an administrative review, according to the original coverage. The officer was previously among those disciplined over KPD’s 2023 response to the medical emergency involving Lisa Edwards, as reported by the AP.
What comes next
With the Sevier County criminal charge now dismissed, the most immediate legal threat at the county level has been taken off the table. That does not close the book entirely. Administrative and civil actions are still possible; prosecutors or the department could act if new evidence surfaces, and the internal Office of Professional Standards review remains in progress.
