KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department released body camera footage on Friday of police shooting and arresting an ax-wielding man in North Knoxville last week.
Officers shot and wounded Christopher Arons, 52, on the afternoon of Nov. 12 after responding to a call about a violent and "belligerent" man armed with a small ax off Washington Pike in the 2600 block of Fairview Street.
The bodycam video was taken from the perspective of three responding officers: Eric Smith, Alexandra Burns and Neil Marasigan. KPD said Smith and Burns were the ones who shot at Arons.
On the first bodycam, Smith was walking down Fairview Street before encountering Arons armed with an ax. Smith raised his gun and began yelling at Arons to drop the ax as Burns arrived.
Arons eventually began walking toward Smith and said "I can't" several times when told to drop the ax. Smith and Burns then fired a total of three shots at Arons after he approached Smith with the ax still in hand.
Smith told Arons to drop the ax 22 times before the first shot rang out. In the video, it appeared Burns fired the first and third shots and Smith fired the second shot.
Arons fell to the ground and began writhing and groaning as officers held him at gunpoint. They told him not to reach for the ax. Arons was then seen grabbing the ax again and putting it down after being told to drop it.
Officer Marasigan arrived just before the shooting happened. He began telling Smith and Burns to "relax" and "settle down" as they held Arons at gunpoint on the ground, telling them, "he's down." More officers arrived a few moments later to help handcuff Arons and provide aid.
Officers began cuffing Arons and providing aid roughly a minute after he was shot. Burns was seen running to a patrol vehicle to grab an aid kit as officers began providing aid. They said it appeared Arons had been shot once.
KPD said Burns and Smith have served with the department since 2020 and are currently assigned to the Field Operations East District. It said both officers were placed on routine administrative leave per standard protocol.
Arons was taken to the hospital in "critical but stable condition." KPD said he is expected to recover from his wounds and is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of vandalism.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting, according to KPD, and the police department is conducting its own administrative investigation.
The police department also said Arons already had two outstanding warrants out of Knox County, including for a probation violation. He was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault against the responding officers, as well as two counts of vandalism for damaging vehicles before officers arrived, according to KPD.