On Monday, October 6, 2025 at around 1 p.m., Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a reported theft and aggravated assault at the Dollar General on Elm Street.

The store manager told officers that a man, later identified as 42-year-old Johnny Carson, filled a basket with merchandise and exited through the store’s emergency door. When the manager confronted Carson, he revealed a handgun in his waistband and made threats before loading the stolen items into a waiting vehicle and fleeing the scene.

Through continued investigation, officers were able to identify, locate and stop the suspect vehicle near Washington Avenue and Chestnut Street. Carson and another woman were in the vehicle at the time of the stop.

Officers searched the vehicle and found a backpack with a loaded handgun. Carson was still wearing the same clothing he wore at the time of the theft. Officers also learned he had multiple prior felony convictions, including for aggravated assault.

Carson was charged with two counts of theft, one count of aggravated assault and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The woman in the car with Carson was charged with driving on a revoked license.