A Knoxville man is staring down a stack of felony charges after police say a stolen University of Tennessee golf cart turned into a July 4 ordeal that rattled a couple outside UT Medical Center and ended with a crash on Alcoa Highway. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Phillip Persha, is accused of swiping the cart from UT's golf practice facility, threatening a man and his wife, then wrecking the cart a short time later. The case has raised eyebrows because university records put the cart's replacement value in the tens of thousands of dollars.
What police say
According to the Knoxville Police Department and University of Tennessee Police, Persha is facing four felony counts connected to robbery and disorderly conduct after the Independence Day incident, which they say unfolded around 8:30 p.m. on July 4. As reported by WVLT, officers say a man and his wife were sitting in a golf cart outside UT Medical Center when Persha walked up and ordered them out of the cart.
University records show cart value
The University of Tennessee's crime log lists the cart's estimated value in a range between $10,000 and $60,000, and notes an alarm at the golf practice facility shortly before the reported theft. Those details appear in the university's online reporting system, according to the UTPD crime log.
How the theft unfolded and the arrest
Investigators say Persha escalated the confrontation by threatening to kill the couple if they refused to get in the cart. Police allege he then reached into their vehicle, grabbed the car keys and sped off in the stolen golf cart. He allegedly headed toward Alcoa Highway, where officers say the cart flipped. According to police, Persha tossed the stolen keys into a nearby tree line and started flagging down passing drivers for help. A Knox County Sheriff's Office deputy who was in the area detained him, and Knoxville Police then took him into custody, as reported by WVLT.
Court date and next steps
Persha is set for a preliminary hearing on July 22 while the investigation continues. Police have not said publicly how he first got hold of the golf cart and are asking anyone with information to contact the Knoxville Police Department.
