MARYVILLE - An off-duty Sevierville police detective was arrested and charged Friday night after he allegedly rammed a Blount County sheriff's officer's cruiser and injured two deputies.
According to the Blount County Sheriff's Office, Timothy Owen Coulter, 43, of Seymour has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, driving under the influence, felony vandalism and possession of a handgun while intoxicated.
Authorities were called to the area of Coulter Road near Davis Ford Road on Friday just before 8 p.m., after they learned Coulter had been involved in a domestic situation in Sevier County, was threatening suicide and was traveling to his family's farm in Blount County.
They also had information that Coulter was armed and would do harm to any law enforcement officer who attempted to make contact with him.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they noticed Coulter's pickup truck in the driveway of the residence. They blocked the road and called him on his cellphone.
Coulter told authorities again that he would kill any deputy who tried to approach him, according to the Sheriff's Office report. He then allegedly backed his truck out of the driveway, headed toward an unoccupied cruiser, accelerated and rammed the front end of the car.
It caused deputies standing nearby to dive into a ditch to avoid being struck by the vehicles. Other deputies struggled with Coulter while getting him out of the car, causing minor injuries to two officers.
The injured officers were taken to Blount Memorial Hospital, where they were treated and released.
Coulter also was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and then transported to the Blount County Detention Center, where he is being held on $102,500 bond.
He is scheduled to make his first court appearance March 30. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies did find a handgun and ammunition in Coulter's vehicle. And another sheriff's cruiser was damaged by the impact.
Coulter has been suspended from the Sevierville Police Department while an internal review is conducted in accordance with the department's policy, said Bob Stahlke, spokesman for the department.
"Tim has been in good standing at the department and this is out of character for him," he said. "At this time we are concerned for his well-being." Because the investigation is ongoing, the department is not commenting further on the incident.
