KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville man has been sentenced to eleven years in prison after attacking his ex-girlfriend.
According to Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen, Austin Kane Rudd, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of Aggravated Assault and one count of Possession with Intent to Sell Methamphetamine over .5 Grams.
On March 6, 2021, Knoxville Police responded to a 911 call. At the scene, the victim stated that her ex-boyfriend, Rudd, kicked in her front door, threw a plate of food at her, and started punching her in the head. Rudd then started hitting the victim with a broom handle and choking the victim until she started feeling light-headed. The victim was able to break free and call 911.
Rudd fled the scene, leaving the victim bruised and bleeding. He was not located until a few days later when he tracked the victim down in her car near West Town Mall. Rudd told the victim that if she did not pull over her car, he was going to ram her. Rudd also told her that if she did not have sex with him, he was going to kick her teeth in and then kill her and her children.
KPD later located Rudd near the O’Charley’s on Kingston Pike, where he attempted to flee in his vehicle but drove over the curb and hit a parked car.
After making bond for those two Aggravated Assaults, Rudd was stopped once again in the parking lot of West Town Mall in a stolen Mustang by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office on April 18.
During a search of the Mustang, officers located drugs and drug paraphernalia, including methamphetamine.
Rudd told officers he did not know the Mustang was stolen and was not at the mall to sell drugs.
He insisted that officers look in his phone to prove this and provided his passcode. When looking in the phone, officers found messages both arranging drug transactions and discussing removing the VIN on the Mustang so it could be legally registered.
“Over the last several years, more warrants have been sworn out charging domestic related crimes than any other offense in Knox County, with law enforcement responding to a domestic call every thirty minutes,” said District Attorney General Charme Allen. “We are glad that this agreement provided for the safety of this victim.”
