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Man charged with attempted murder for shooting at state trooper

The TBI said a man is behind bars following an officer-involved shooting that reportedly happened before 5:00 a.m. in Greene County on May 18th.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said a man that was hospitalized in an officer-involved shooting in Greene County in May has been arrested following an investigation.

The shooting happened along southbound I-81 at mile marker 21 on May 18th.

According to the TBI, 25-year-old Kenneth Powell from Kingsport was arrested on Thursday, May 31 for attempted first-degree murder and booked into the Greene County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Kenneth C. Powell

According to the TBI's investigation, a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol spotted a pick-up truck along a ramp leading to a weigh station on 1-81 on May 18th around 5:00 a.m.

When the trooper approached, the TBI said Powell told him his truck was almost out of gas.

After running the plates, the TBI said the trooper noticed the truck had been reported stolen out of Blountville in Sullivan County earlier that morning.

According to the TBI, the suspect then tried to pull away, turning the truck to face traffic in a grassy area and began shooting at the trooper from inside the truck when he approached him for a second time.

The TBI said the trooper returned fire and hit Powell, who was taken to an area hospital and treated. The trooper was unharmed.

The TBI does not identify officers involved in these types of incidents.

The TBI provided a rap sheet for Powell's past criminal history. According to the documents, Powell had been arrested in the past beginning in June 2012 for offenses such as shoplifting, domestic assault, and numerous drug-related offenses.

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