Knoxville — A Knoxville man has been indicted after authorities say he tried to kill a man first with a gun and then with a box cutter.
Johnny Mack Powell, 29, was being held in the Knox County jail.
A grand jury indicted him on counts of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and simple possession of a controlled substance, among others.
According to arrest warrants, Powell was involved in January 2018 in an altercation with a man outside a Western Heights apartment on Jourolman Avenue.
The warrants state Powell tried to fire a handgun at the man but it malfunctioned so he dropped it, pulled a box cutter from his pocket and cut the victim's throat. The two then lost their balance and slid down an embankment.
Powell ran off and as officer's were canvassing the area, witnesses pointed him out to them, the arrest warrants state.
When he was taken into custody, officers said they took the box cutter, a scale and two marijuana pipes from him. The black Ruger SR22 handgun that malfunctioned was allegedly picked up by a witness at the scene and given to officers after. The warrants also state that Powell gave officers 5.1 grams of marijuana that he was carrying with him.
