Knoxville Police Department officers arrested 34-year-old Dartavia Smith-Wilson following a traffic stop and subsequent search warrant at a home on Natchez Avenue.

On May 13, 2026, officers spotted a silver Toyota Camry speeding on Dandridge Avenue. Officers stopped the vehicle when it turned into a driveway in the 1900 block of Natchez Avenue.

The driver, identified as Smith-Wilson, lives at the residence and immediately tried to exit the vehicle. Officers asked him to get back in the vehicle. After returning to the driver’s seat, Smith-Wilson handed officers a clear plastic baggie filled with suspected marijuana and told officers he did not have a valid driver’s license. A records check revealed he is a convicted felon.

A K9 unit responded to the scene and alerted to additional narcotics in the vehicle. Officers found another bag of suspected marijuana and $2,000 in cash.

At the time of the stop, Smith-Wilson’s five-year-old child was in the vehicle. Family members came to take custody of the child and retrieve his belongings from the home. While accompanying family members inside the home, officers spotted a handgun in plain view. Due to being a convicted felon, Smith-Wilson is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Officers subsequently obtained a search warrant for the residence. During the search, officers located approximately 40 grams of fentanyl, 54 grams of marijuana, seven grams of methamphetamine, a handgun, ammunition and additional drug paraphernalia.

Smith-Wilson was arrested and charged with convicted felon in possession of a handgun, manufacture, sale and delivery of a controlled substance and driving without a license.