Man arrested after ‘hit’ attempt, police say

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A man is now facing several charges after leading Knoxville and Knox County law enforcement on a chase following a shooting, according to a police report obtained by WVLT News.

On March 13, Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies were searching for a stolen vehicle and driving around the area of the last known location when they found the car, a Silver Chevy Malibu, the report said.

The car made a left onto Prosser Road from Buffat Mill. The deputies started to drive behind him, and the police report noted that the driver of the car, later identified as Anthony Cook, made several lane changes and ran a stop sign.

Deputies then attempted to pull the car over, but the driver did not stop, according to the report.

Cook was fleeing down several different roads when he came to Boright Drive. A passenger inside the car then shot several rounds at a person, according to the police report.

Another passenger in the car told Knoxville Police Department officers that the passengers in the car “knew where to find the victim and stated there was a ‘hit’ on the victim and drove the stolen vehicle to the location of the victim to execute the attempted homicide,” according to a police report.

Cook and the other passengers then continued to flee from the officers, according to the report.

While running, KCSO deputies said Cook ran a stop sign at North Broadway near Pembroke and hit another car.

KPD officers said that several other suspects had jumped from the car at different times during the pursuit, but all were arrested and taken back to KPD headquarters.

Cook told officers that he was the driver of the vehicle but said that another man was the original driver, the police report said. Cook told officers that he was taking backroads and just driving around, but when he turned onto Boright Drive, he said that there was a man pointing a gun at him.

Cook then said he heard “several loud bangs” and saw a police car behind them activate its lights. Cook then said that he was “scared” and started speeding in an attempt to get away.

Cook told officers that he did not know who fired the gun and that no one in the car had a gun on them.

KCSO detectives then spoke with other passengers who said that Cook was driving the car and his cousin, Timothy Toomire, was in the passenger seat and shot at the victim.

One passenger said that he heard Cook and Toomire saying, “I know where he is at right now.” The passenger then said they overheard Cook say, “There’s one in the head” after passing a bag to Toomire.

Toomire then leaned out the window and shot at the victim, according to the passenger. Cook then started running from KCSO until he bailed out of the vehicle and continued running on foot.

KCSO deputies said that a black handgun and a black bag containing two handguns were recovered from a creek that Cook, Toomire and the other three passengers ran by.

A police report said that a trail camera captured the group running and Toomire throwing a handgun away as he was running.

Cook was charged with aggravated assault, first-degree murder attempt, theft of property between $2,500 and $10,000, evading arrest flight in a vehicle, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon involved and vandalism up to $1,000.