Blog: KPD News & Alerts

Suspect Identified from Assault at Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area

On Sunday, August 22 at around 1:40 p.m., KPD officers responded to the TWRA Wildlife Management Area at 3140 McClure Lane in reference to an assault that had occurred on the greenway. On arrival, officers spoke with the victim, a 30-year-old female, who stated that she was walking her dog on the trails when she was approached by an unknown white male. The suspect then grabbed the victim without warning, attempted to drag her into the woods and punched her multiple times, causing significant injuries to her head and face. The victim began to fight back and, shortly after, the suspect fled into the woods towards the river after two citizens came to her aid. During the attack, the suspect also took the victim’s phone. Major Crimes Unit investigators and Crime Lab personnel responded to the scene to investigate the assault, while a K-9 officer was also called to the scene to attempt to track the suspect, but the K-9 lost the track near the river.

Through continued investigation and with the assistance of the TWRA, the suspect was identified as Michael James Ward, DOB 8/19/74. Investigators are obtaining warrants charging Ward with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping. At this time, Ward is not in custody and his whereabouts are unknown.

Michael Ward

Ward is approximately 5’8” and 165 pounds with blue eyes, brown hair and numerous tattoos. His last known location was in the area of the Forks of the River industrial park. Ward is possibly armed and should be considered dangerous. Anyone who sees Ward is strongly encouraged to not approach him and call 9-1-1 immediately, while anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.easttnvalleycrimestoppers.org or via the free mobile app, P3 Tips.

Posted by serland On 23 August, 2021 at 6:01 PM