Sevierville, Tenn. — A retired police officer fired shots at a suspected shoplifter during the attempt to arrest the man, who eventually had to be tased to be stopped.
On Saturday, just after noon, officers were called to the Walmart on the Parkway on a reported shoplifting. Before officers arrived, the suspect, identified as Jeffrey A. Todd, 34, of Sevier County, ran from the store, got in his car and drove out of the parking lot.
The retired officer contacted dispatch to say he was following the suspect's Chevy Malibu.
A Sevierville police officer spotted the Chevy leaving the Walmart and heading south on the Parkway. After several attempts to stop the car, Todd crashed into a ditch on New Era Road, but when the officer approached it, he took off again.
The officer caught up with Todd at a home on New Era Road, where he had pulled his car behind the house. The retired officer who had also been following the suspect was in the front yard of the house, holding a pistol.
The officer went behind the house to arrest Todd, who was still in his car. Instead of following her commands to get out of the vehicle, Todd drove back towards the front of the house towards the retired officer, who fired three shots at the vehicle. The retired officer later told detectives he was in fear for his life as the vehicle drove towards him.
Todd was not hit, and pulled back onto New Era Road towards the Parkway, where he ran into a camper, drove over several sidewalks, and finally crashed into a steel gate at NASCAR Speedpark.
Police said Todd took off on foot. An officer deployed his TASER, hitting Todd and knocking him down, but Todd got on his feet again and ran across the Parkway, where officers eventually took him into custody in a parking lot.
Todd was charged with shoplifting, felony evading by motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, evading arrest, and resisting arrest. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and may file additional charges.