KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three men were arrested after they attacked and yelled racial slurs at three people on Monday, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
Steven Tanner, Dylan Kiser and Kenneth Holmes—all employees of the Tennessee Bonding Company—have each been charged with two counts of assault with bodily injury, according to KPD.
One of the three victims had run out of gas at 2701 East Magnolia. The two other victims were helping them when a Toyota truck drove past at a high rate of speed and someone in the car yelled something to the effect of "get out of the road you fat Black [expletive]," according to a police report from KPD.
The report said the truck parked across the street at the Tennessee Bonding Company and four men—three of which being Tanner, Kiser and Holmes—got out, threw beer cans on the ground and approached the edge of the sidewalk.
The fourth suspect has not yet been identified, KPD said.
The four men began arguing with one of the victims and yelling racial profanities at all three victims, the report stated. The four men walked across the street towards where the victims were parked.
Kiser approached one of the victims and slapped them in the face, according to KPD. As the victim attempted to defend themselves, they were attacked by all four men.
KPD said the two other victims saw the attack and tried to stop the assault.
Holmes held the second victim's arms behind their back, and the unknown fourth suspect punched the victim in the center of the back, the report stated.
The third victim tried to intervene and break up the fight, but they were shoved to the ground, according to KPD. They had just had knee surgery, and the fall caused them extreme pain.
The report said the second victim was able to break free from Holmes, attempted to hit the suspects with a cane, ran to their car to retrieve pepper spray and sprayed the suspects, ending the assaults.
When officers arrived, the suspects were back across the street at the Tennessee Bonding Company. The victims noticed Holmes was sitting on the steps outside of the building and pointed him out to officers, according to KPD.
As officers approached the building, they could smell a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the property and noticed beer bottles on the ground near the Toyota truck, the report stated.
Holmes told the officers that no one from his establishment was involved in the assaults and that he was hit in the elbow with a cane, according to KPD. When officers asked follow-up questions, Holmes said he did not want to talk anymore and wanted his lawyer.
Holmes was taken into custody. A Glock-19 was retrieved out of his waistband and handed over with his consent to a colleague for safekeeping, KPD said.
After several minutes, Tanner and Kiser walked out of the building and stated they went inside to wash out their eyes from the pepper spray, according to the report. All three victims identified the men as the individuals who assaulted them. A strong odor of alcohol emitted from each of the three suspects' breaths as well.