University of Tennessee authorities are still trying to identify the man an officer Tased on Tuesday afternoon during an encounter on the Knoxville campus.
The man appears to be in his 20s. He carried no identification and won't cooperate with police, according to Keith Lambert, assistant chief of the University of Tennessee Police Department.
Police have been given two possible names for the man and are working with a couple agencies to confirm who he is. It's not clear if he's a student.
He was being treated at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Officers could not find a fingerprint match, suggesting the man does not have a criminal history, Lambert said.
He likely faces department charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and impeding a highway, the assistant chief said.
Knoxville police also were expected to seek charges.
UTPD officers rarely are called on to discharge their Tasers, which they've been carrying only a year or two, according to Lambert.
About 5 p.m. Tuesday, UT police were notified that a man was attacking cars near Neyland Drive and Lake Loudoun Boulevard. Callers told police the man was "kicking and punching" cars around the intersection.
He also appeared to be bloodied.
A short time later, according to the department, a UT officer saw someone matching the suspect's description at Lake Loudoun Boulevard and Phillip Fulmer Way.
When the officer got out of his vehicle, the man ran at him and began to assault him, according to the department.
"Multiple witnesses interviewed at the scene confirmed this assault," according to the department. "The officer attempted to gain distance from the suspect and give verbal commands for the suspect to stop, but the suspect continued attempting to assault the officer."
The officer then Tased the man and brought him down.
It was thought then that the man might be having a mental breakdown. Toxicology testing also was ordered but the results weren't yet available Wednesday, Lambert said.
The man was conscious as he was taken by ambulance from the scene.
