SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Several items, including two pistols believed to have been used in the shooting, plus two stolen vehicles and more were recovered after Tuesday afternoon’s standoff at a motel.
Suspect Richard Smith, 31, is facing 10 attempted murder charges as well as weapons charges; while the second suspect, Megan Arnold, 22, is charged with criminal responsibility for the facilitation of a felony.
Sevierville police released details from the Jan. 14 standoff at the Days Inn Motel at which 10 officers were fired upon while approaching the room of the two suspects.
According to the arrest report, just before 1 p.m. Tuesday, deputies with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office were trying to make contact with the two suspects believed to be staying at the motel due to active warrants for several thefts and burglaries out of Knox County.
Officers also located two stolen vehicles in the motel parking lot, one of which had been involved in a pursuit the day before (Monday, Jan. 13).
After confirming the motel room was rented in the name of one of the suspects, Megan Arnold, officers tried to gain entry into the room.
The arrest report states officers tried using keys, knocking, announcing, and used a ram to knock the door. As the door began to fold, that’s when five gunshots were fired from within the room.
“The shots were fired at and in the vicinity of the 10 Knox county deputies,” the report states. “After the shots were fired, deputies pulled back to safe and tactical positions and called for backup.”
Units from Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office and Sevierville police responded to the scene.
No injuries were reported.
Smith and Arnold barricaded themselves in the motel room and negotiations with law enforcement took place on the motel room telephone. Around 1:43 p.m. both suspects came out of the motel room, unarmed and were taken into custody without further incident.
Inside the room, police found two firearms – a Smith & Wesson M&P pistol and a Sig Sauer pistol. Both were registered to suspect Smith. Also found in the room: Money, identifications, bank/credit and gift cards, drug paraphernalia, along with “various other items that had been recently acquired by the suspects,” the report states.
All the items were taken into Sevierville police custody to be processed for evidence and items related to the Knox County cases were signed over to KCSO investigators.
The stolen vehicles — a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan with key and a 2006 Nissan sedan, were towed to Sevierville Police Department for evidence processing and will soon be released to the owners.
