KNOXVILLE - A Powell woman with a valid handgun carry permit allegedly pulled her gun on an off-duty Knoxville Police Department official this afternoon in an incident that may have been sparked by road rage, authorities say.
Luann Keller, 55, was charged with aggravated assault, a felony, according to KPD Lt. Kenny Miller.
The incident happened about 5 p.m. when KPD Lt. Dusty Lane, who was off-duty and driving his personal vehicle, was going northbound on Clinton Highway, Miller said.
Keller, who was behind the wheel of a Dodge Dakota pickup truck, was driving behind Lane when she began acting aggressively, Miller said.
"She started blowing her horn and then pulled up beside him and pulled a firearm," Miller said. "She points it at him and keeps on going."
Lane called for on-duty marked units, and Keller was taken into custody without incident at the intersection of Clinton Highway and West Emory Road.
As R. Neal pointed out, there have been a few of these incidents in Tennessee lately. For example:
There was an article yesterday, Sunday, August 9, 2009, in The [Maryville] Daily Times, on a "Road rage" incident. While driving down Alcoa Highway an individual alledgedly "waved the handgun" at another individual trying to travel the road. The individual with the reported handgun was arrested and charged with "aggravated assault".
An on-line version of the report is not yet available. The report is in section A, page 4 of the print edition.
The person alledgely "waving" the handgun appears to have a State of Tennessee handgun carry permit. The person's name, age, and city match a record in the handgun carry permit database. This information was not reported in the article.
How often does this happen? Is it tracked? Is it reported?
Reported? Tracked? Hah! Why would anyone want to do that? Why pop that gun nut bubble which pretends every CCW holder is a law abiding citizen carrying a deadly weapon to save you and yours from the boogey man (cough*cough*brown people!*cough*cough) hiding in the bushes?
Instead we get a bunch of redneck yahoos waving their guns around like they've got some kind of amazing superpower that makes them above the law. And as more people carry their guns more places, I predict we will see more incidents of guns being used improperly.
Nobody could have anticipated that!
(h/t, KnoxViews)
