KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: State law enforcement officials say the suspect's name is Shawn White. The U.S. Department of Justice says his name is Shown White. It was unclear which spelling is correct Wednesday afternoon.
A man accused of carjacking a garbage truck driver and leading authorities on a multi-county chase was charged federally on Tuesday, according to a release from the Department of Justice
Shawn White, 43, also identified as Shown White, was charged with carjacking. If convicted, he could spend up to 25 years in prison, the DOJ said.
On Monday, White is accused of stealing his mom's Nissan and crashing it in the 500 block of Henley Street, in the downtown area, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
At some point after the crash, White allegedly flagged down a garbage truck that was driving on Henley St., KPD said.
After the truck stopped, they said he got in the truck cab, held the driver at knifepoint and forced him to continue driving south on Henley St. towards Chapman Hwy.
KPD said White, who has a lengthy criminal record that includes time in the Tennessee prison system, stabbed the driver multiple times before the driver ultimately jumped out of the moving vehicle on Chapman Hwy. The driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
White continued driving the garbage truck down Chapman Hwy. The Sevierville Police Department said it successfully used spike strips and the truck crashed into Tennessee Hot Tubs on Dolly Parton Pkwy.
The Sevierville Fire Department took White out from the truck, and the sheriff's office took custody of him, according to officials. He was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for injuries from the crash.