Knoxville man sentenced to more than 30 years after ATF gun show investigation leads to car chase

On October 2, 2024By Rgal Nv

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Knoxville man was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for illegal gun offenses and leading a dangerous police chase after leaving a gun show in 2021 .

Michael Harris, 38, of Knoxville, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm while a felon and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 380 months in prison and will be on supervised release for 10 years after his imprisonment.

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He illegally purchased a firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines and other items while attending the RK Gun Show in Knoxville in April 2022. Harris, who was under surveillance at the time, committed traffic violation when leaving the event. and was arrested at a gas station on Clinton Highway.

Harris attempted to elude law enforcement during a search of his vehicle. He ran to the driver’s side door, got in and sped off on Clinton Highway with a Knoxville police officer inside.

The officer unsuccessfully attempted to detain Harris and gain control of the van before it crashed into oncoming traffic. Harris was not injured in the crash and was arrested after fleeing the scene. The policeman suffered a broken arm and a head injury.

Inside the van, officers allegedly found a large quantity of what a field test revealed to be methamphetamine. Federal court documents show the encounter began as part of a long-running investigation that placed undercover agents inside gun shows in an effort to identify unlicensed sellers , known gang members and people prohibited from possessing firearms.

According to the affidavit, Harris admitted to selling methamphetamine and being affiliated with the Blood Street gang in the Detroit area.

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“Harris’ actions were reckless and demonstrated a complete disregard for the safety of others
our community. We are incredibly fortunate that our officer, Lieutenant Michael Geddings, was
able to fully recover from the injuries he suffered while attempting to apprehend Harris.
I appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold him accountable for his behavior,”
Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel said.

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