Update: Escaped prisoner caught in Knoxville

An escaped prison inmate has been caught in Knoxville by a THP trooper, who chased him down, cornered him, and pepper-sprayed him.

The Department of Correction said Brian C. Lee walked away from a maintenance job at Frost Bottom Missionary Baptist Church just before 1 p.m.

Officials said Lee was able to grab the pastor's keys as the pastor said grace over lunch. Lee then drove away in the pastor's Kia SUV.

Lee was known to have acquaintances in South Knoxville, so an unmarked THP patrol car was waiting in the area. A trooper spotted Lee and began a vehicular chase.

When Lee got the vehicle stuck in an alley, he bailed out and ran away on foot.

After a foot chase of several blocks, officials said Lee tried to double back around to the vehicle but got cornered in a fenced-in portion of a resident's yard near Trotter Street.

The trooper pepper-sprayed Lee, then brought him into custody.

Escape and theft charges were pending Monday night, as well as charges related to the foot chase.

The Anderson County Sheriff's Office said the pastor's vehicle was being returned to him.

Previous: Prisoner walks off Anderson Co. work crew

The Tennessee Department of Correction is looking for an inmate who apparently walked off from a work detail in rural Anderson County.

Officials say 31-year-old Brian Lee walked away from a maintenance job at Frost Bottom Church around 12:55 p.m. Monday.

Lee was in the midst of an eight-year sentence in Morgan County. He convicted of aggravated burglary, robbery, and arson in Knox County.

The Department of Correction said Lee had met with the parole board a few months ago and was denied parole until at least 2011.

Officials believe he may be driving a stolen white Kia SUV, made in 2000. That vehicle was last seen driving on Highway 61, headed southwest.