Report: Homeowner shoots, hits tire; burglary suspects flee, found later

After they allegedly drove toward him, a homeowner shot at a Ford Taurus carrying three burglary suspects leaving his Melton Hill Drive property Saturday, authorities said. He hit a tire.

But the trio was able to escape in the black car—at least temporarily, authorities said.

The three were arrested later after a search that included the Clinton Police Department, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, and a Knox County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, the CPD said in a news release posted on its website.

It all started when Jimmy Foster, the Melton Hill Drive homeowner, returned home Saturday and found the black Taurus in his driveway as well as people allegedly loading what appeared to be his property into the vehicle, the release said.

Foster pulled into the driveway and got out of his vehicle, the release said. The suspects allegedly rammed his vehicle with the Taurus and then turned their vehicle, driving toward him. Fearing for his life, Foster drew a firearm and fired several shots at the vehicle, the release said.

It said he struck a tire, but the suspects fled.

The CPD and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department began a search. CPD Sgt. Jason Stokes located the suspects’ vehicle on Burly Nelson Lane, off of Blockhouse Valley Road. He apprehended two of the suspects: Nicholas David Hedge, 22, of Hall Road in Knoxville, and Amanda Marie Webber, 21, of Carroll Hollow Road in Clinton.

The third suspect— Christopher Lynn Harness, 22, of Dutch Valley Road in Clinton—had allegedly fled on foot.

K-9 units from the CPD and Sheriff’s Department, joined by a helicopter from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, began a perimeter search of the area. After about one hour, the Knox County helicopter located Harness at the ridge top between Blockhouse Valley and West Wolf Valley, the release said. As Harness allegedly fled on foot toward West Wolf Valley, he was apprehended by Anderson County deputies John Acker and Greg Pearmain.

The CPD said the three suspects were charged with aggravated burglary and felony theft. Harness was also charged with evading arrest.

All three remained jailed Tuesday evening. Bond for Harness has been set at $100,000, and bond for Hedge and Webber has been set at $50,000, according to Anderson County jail records.

Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough called it “a tremendous example of a coordinated law enforcement response.

“The assistance from both the Anderson County and Knox County Sheriff’s Departments couldn’t have been better,” Scarbrough said in the release. “All officers involved were excellent.”