Two Knoxville Police Department officers are being treated after a suspect bit one officer's thumb off and injured another officer's leg during a fight.
According to KPD, Officer Trey Lane and Tim Edwards were conducting a traffic enforcement on Woodbine Avenue around 1:16 p.m. Wednesday. The man, identified as Alexander Ray Johnson, was driving an Acura MDX and traveling 12 miles-per-hour over the speed limit.
The officers conducted a traffic stop on the Acura near the intersection of Woodbine and Milligan Street. Johnson, a self-proclaimed Sovereign Hebrew Israelite Citizen, claimed he doesn't recognize government agencies and refused to comply with the officer's request, according to Knoxville Police.Police said there was no legal license plate on the vehicle only a Sovereign Hebrew Israelite sign.
While attempting to place Johnson into custody, police said the suspect began assaulting the officers.During the fight, investigators said the suspect bit off the end of Officer Trey Lane's thumbs. The second officer, Tim Edwards, received a leg injury during the fight. Both officers were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries.
Alexander Ray Johnson has been detained in the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on traffic charges. The suspect was charged Wednesday evening with aggravated assault and resisting arrest. He was not injured.On Thursday, Johnson was arraigned in jail before a magistrate. He faces a preliminary hearing on June 26.A female passenger in the suspect's vehicle was been detained for questioning and released, according to the Knoxville Police Department.Officer Lane has been with KPD since June 2006. Officer Edwards has been with KPD since March 2005.