Knoxville Man Sentenced To 380 Months For Drug And Firearm Offenses After Assaulting Officer And Crashing Van In Attempt To Flee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On October 1, 2024, Michel Harris, 38, of Knoxville, TN, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 380 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 10 years.

As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Harris pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)(A) and possessing a firearm while being a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).

According to the filed plea agreement, Harris, who is a convicted felon, illegally purchased a firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other firearm paraphernalia, including upper receivers for an AR type rifle, and 100-round, 60-round, and 50-round drum magazines for various caliber firearms, while attending the RK Gun Show in Knoxville in April 2022. After leaving the gun show, Harris, who had been under surveillance, committed a traffic violation, and was stopped at a gas station off Clinton Highway.

Officers initiated a search of Harris' van while at the gas station. During the search, Harris ran to the driver's side door, got in, and sped onto Clinton Highway, with a KPD officer inside. The officer attempted to restrain Harris and gain control of the van but was unsuccessful. Ultimately, the van crashed into oncoming traffic, hitting two vehicles head on. Harris, unharmed during the crash, fled on foot and was apprehended a short time later. The officer suffered a head wound and a badly broken arm. No other drivers or passengers were seriously injured.

"Harris' conduct was dangerous and brazen. He jeopardized the lives of countless innocent bystanders and law enforcement officers during his attempt to flee, and an untold number of people were endangered by the weapons and ammunition Harris illegally purchased," said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. "Our office is committed to uncovering and prosecuting dangerous criminals who gravely harm our communities through drug trafficking and the illegal purchase of firearms and ammunition."

"Illegal firearm possession is a serious threat to public safety as demonstrated in this case," said ATF Nashville Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. "The safety of our communities and protecting the public is one of the cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. This sentence highlights ATF's commitment to protecting the public through vigorous enforcement of the federal firearms laws by identifying, arresting, and presenting for prosecution the perpetrators illegally obtaining firearms and those responsible for violent crimes committed in our communities."

"Harris' actions were reckless and showed a complete disregard for the safety of others in our community. We are incredibly fortunate that our officer, Lieutenant Michael Geddings, was able to make a full recovery from the injuries he sustained while attempting to apprehend Harris. I appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold him to account for his behavior," said Knoxville Chief of Police Paul Noel.

The charges were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Knoxville Police Department and the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne-Marie Svolto and Michael Deel of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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