Wanted LaFollette man now faces a litany of additional charges after running from police

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- LaFollette Police Narcotic Detective Noah Riggs was informed last Tuesday (March 4) by a Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) Parole Officer that Nicholas Wayne Knight had an arrest warrant for a parole violation.  On Thursday, around 6 pm, Detective Riggs saw Knight driving a Honda westbound near the LaFollette city limits on East Central Ave. near Food Lion.

Officer Riggs was able to catch up to the vehicle near the LaFollette Post Office where Knight made a left turn onto East Elm St. prompting Riggs turned on his emergency lights on his police cruiser. After the lights came on, Knight sped up, and Officer Riggs then turned on his sirens but Knight continued westbound on East Elm St., then turning onto South Cumberland Ave. Knight continued traveling straight onto Long Hollow Rd making a left onto Camp Ridge Rd, turning onto Davis Chapel Rd, then to Coolidge Rd. The pursuit continued as Knight turned onto Cedar Creek Rd where he continued until Victory Rd then onto Victory Cross. At this point, Knight made a right turn onto Bethlehem Rd where the road dead ended at a residence, according to a report from the LaFollette Police Department. A metal cattle gate was at the end of the road, and Knight rammed it with the Honda, and broke down the gate. Knight went into the front yard of the home, into the backyard ramming through a cattle fence and continued up an embankment where Knight’s Honda went into a ditch stopping the vehicle.

At this point, Knight got out of the passenger side of the vehicle and began to run on foot down the pasture field and back into the driveway of the residence for approximately 400-500 feet while Riggs was yelling at him to stop. Backup officer Lt. Shane Tielman along with LaFollette Police made contact with Knight and took him to the ground in the driveway of the residence. He continued to attempt to roll over and flee and would not give officers his hand from his front waist band. Riggs and Tielman gave compliance strikes until Knight placed his hands behind his back. Knight was placed in the back of a patrol unit.

Narcotic Detective Riggs returned to Knight’s vehicle where he came in contact with two people in the rear seat of the vehicle who both stated they were afraid for their lives and had asked Knight several times to stop and let them out of the vehicle.

In plain view on the ground on the driver’s rear door were three sets of digital scales with a crystal like substance on the scale pad, and there was a large baggie with a large amount of a crystal like substance. Riggs backtracked where Knight had run and near the corner of the barn was a black shoulder bag that contained multiple small baggies, one opened Suboxone wrapper with a partial orange strip in the wrapper, set of brass knuckles, a small paper book with letter handwritten on pages with weights, names and dollar amounts, $401 in cash that was believed to be proceeds from drug sales.

The 31-year old Knight, of 109 Pleasant Ridge Road, LaFollette was charged with  violation of parole, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, vandalism over $1,000, possession/mfg/del/sell schedule II, felony possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while in possession of methamphetamine and prohibited weapons.

Knight remains housed in the Campbell County Jail this morning without bond. He is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court later this morning. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-03/11/2025-6AM)

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