KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department said they are still investigating the fatal shooting of an off-duty officer more than three decades later.
They said on July 7, 1989, Tony Williams was shot and killed while riding his motorcycle on Cherry Street near I-40. He was a patrol officer and was off-duty at the time of the shooting. KPD said no suspects were convicted for the murder. Williams was 24 years old at the time of the shooting.
KPD said parts of Cherry Street near I-40 were closed on Sept. 28 so the police department could complete a FARO forensic scan of the area, as part of the investigation. These types of scans usually use laser technology to quickly capture accurate measurements of a location and can be used to capture small details in hard-to-reach spaces.
The scans capture detailed 3D images that can be used later during prosecution, KPD said.
The Knoxville Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was helping with the investigation, according to a release from KPD.
“It’s been almost 35 years since Officer Williams was murdered, which has left Tony’s family and our department without any real closure,” said Chief of Police Paul Noel in a statement. “Our detectives have been aggressively working the case in recent years, and they have made significant progress over that time. I urge anyone with information that could potentially assist our efforts to bring closure to Tony’s family to contact the Homicide Unit.”
Anyone with information about the shooting should reach out to Homicide Unit Sergeant Rodney Patton at 865-215-7022.