KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A Powell man has been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting incident that occurred at a Chapman Highway business on Sunday afternoon.
According to the Knoxville Police Department (KPD), officers responded to a report of a shooting at JMC Smoke Shop, located in the 4000 block of Chapman Highway, around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, officers learned that 35-year-old Deionta Bailey of Powell had been asked to leave the store after an altercation with the store clerk.
Erland stated that after being asked to leave, Bailey became irate, physically assaulted the clerk, and then proceeded to fire multiple gunshots from the parking lot towards the front of the smoke shop. One of the rounds grazed a 50-year-old male bystander who had been sitting in a parked car in the lot. The victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene and did not require hospitalization.
Following the shooting, Bailey fled the scene in a white GMC SUV, which was later traced to an address in Powell. Deputies with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle at the registered address, prompting a response from KPD officers. Authorities arrested Bailey at the residence and charged him with attempted second-degree murder, felony reckless endangerment, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
KPD detectives later interviewed Bailey, who reportedly admitted to firing several shots in the direction of the smoke shop.
The investigation is ongoing, and Bailey remains in custody pending further legal proceedings. Authorities are continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the altercation and shooting.