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KPD: Suspect arrested in US Marshals-involved shooting tried to run over agent

Covington was taken into custody shortly after 10 p.m. Monday.

UPDATE 5 p.m. Tuesday:

The Knoxville Police Department said the suspect admitted to the hospital following a U.S. Marshals Service agent-involved shooting has been treated and booked into jail.

Officers took Larry Steven Covington, 39 from Knoxville, into custody late Monday night and he was admitted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with a gunshot wound.

KPD said he was treated and released this morning, and is now being held at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility.

According to police, Covington was scheduled to surrender to authorities on May 2 after being sentenced to prison for 48 months for committing fraud against the IRS.

When Covington failed to report, a Federal warrant was issued for his arrest. An agent tracked him down to a U.S. Post Office on Weisgarber Road in Knoxville.

When the agent tried to take him into custody, KPD said Covington then tried to run over the agent with his Chevrolet Tahoe. The agent drew his weapon in defense and fired as Covington drove away.

"He had been sentenced to 48 months in prison for committing fraud against the IRS back in April. When he did not surrender there was a federal warrant issued for his arrest," said Darrell DeBusk, Public Information Officer for the Knoxville Police Department. "At that point, there was an agent that used his weapon and not only saved his life but other agent’s lives as well as other people in the parking lot."

KPD said the suspect continued to flee. Officers located his abandoned vehicle on West Millard Beets Road.

Law enforcement from KPD, the Knox County Sheriff's Office, K9 officers with the Blount County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Postal Inspector agents began searching for the suspect.

Around 10 p.m., deputies with KCSO eventually found Covington hiding in a crawl space of a home on East Millard Beets Road with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. No one else was injured in the incidents.

Neighbors in the area were told to shelter in place.

"First thing that I noticed was helicopters were over my house. So I came outside to look and next thing I know, there were 10 to 20 cops, US Marshals with K-9’s," said Ronda Cox, who lives nearby where the suspect was found. "They were checking the woods and all the surrounding areas. All of the roads at the end of the street were blocked. No one could get to my house or leave my house."

KPD said multiple charges are pending for Covington.

He has a lengthy criminal history, dating back to his first DUI arrest in 1999. Since then, he's faced a number of charges, including theft, additional DUI's, drug possession, and reckless driving.

UPDATE 10:30 p.m. Monday:

Knoxville Police took Larry Steven Covington into custody around 10 p.m. Monday.

Authorities had been searching for him for hours after trying to take him into custody earlier in the day for failing to turn himself in to serve a four year sentence for fraud.

He was found hiding in a crawl space at a resident on East Millard Beets Road, according to KPD. Police said he was suffering from a gunshot wound and was transported to UT Medical Center for treatment.

US Marshals said they tried arresting him at the post office on Weisgarber Road around 4 p.m. Monday and he reportedly resisted. At one point, shots were fired by a US Marshal and he was able to get away in his vehicle. Police said they found the vehicle nearby with blood in it so they believed he was injured in the shooting.

He took off running, according to KPD. Several agencies worked into the night to locate him.

This is a developing story. Check back with 10News for updates.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A man police said failed to turn himself in to serve a four year sentence for fraud was shot at by U.S. Marshals after they said he resisted arrest at the U.S. Post Office on Weisgarber Road Monday.

Knoxville Police said Larry Steven Covington was believed to be on foot in the area of Millard Beets, Sunflower, Lonas, and Middle Brook. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous. He also may be injured.

Covington is described as a white, bald male, 5'10", wearing a yellowish green shirt and jeans.

His vehicle was found abandoned on Kim Watt Road in West Knoxville, police said.

Marshals said they were attempting to arrest Covington for failure to turn himself in for a four-year sentence for fraud around 4 p.m. Monday.

He was supposed to turn himself in on May 2, 2018. Marshals say he resisted arrest which resulted in shots being fired at him. Authorities believe he was hurt in the shooting because they found blood in the car he abandoned.

No one else was hurt.

Several agencies assisted in the search for Covington Monday afternoon. At around 9 p.m, police reopened roads in the search area and drew back on the search. However, officers were still patrolling the area.

According to the Department of Justice, Covington pleaded guilty to a one-count information in May 2017.

The plea agreement states Covington learned how to prepare and file fraudulent income tax returns from another inmate while he was serving time in a Tennessee state correctional facility in 2008.

If you see a suspicious person in the area, call 911 immediately. Knoxville Police has also said if you witnessed the shooting, FBI investigators need you to call the Knoxville FBI Office at 865-544-0751.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

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