Knox County Commissioner Foils Robbery Attempt

[MountainJoe]

Armed commissioner says man pulled gun on him at his car dealership

By J.J. STAMBAUGH, stambaugh@knews.com
November 13, 2006

A Knox County commissioner known for his pro-gun stance says he
aborted an armed robbery at his car dealership Saturday with the aid
of his .380-caliber pistol.

Greg "Lumpy" Lambert, who represents the 6th District in northwest
Knox County, said he was at Advantage Auto Sales on Clinton Highway
early Saturday afternoon when a young man began acting suspicious
while test-driving a 2005 Ford Focus.

The man, identified as 19-year-old Kane Stackhouse, claimed to have
$12,000 in his pocket and seemed intent on buying the car without
any haggling or even a mechanical inspection, Lambert said.

Later, as the paperwork was being drawn up, Stackhouse stepped
outside to smoke a cigarette, Lambert said. When the commissioner
went outside to tell him it was time to work on the title,
Stackhouse allegedly pulled a .25-caliber handgun from his jacket
pocket.

Lambert, who was armed with a Kel-Tec .380-caliber pistol and
wearing a "Friends of the NRA" ball cap, drew his gun. For a moment,
the two men stared at one another down the barrels of their guns,
according to Lambert's account.

"I think we probably leveled our sights close to the same time,"
Lambert said. "I think I got a bit of a drop on him. I told him to
drop his weapon, and he said he didn't want any trouble."

Stackhouse didn't ask for money or issue any demands, Lambert
said. "I didn't give him a chance to," he said.

Lambert said he convinced the young man to lay down his weapon and
then told him to leave the premises, but not before letting him know
he'd probably "be arrested at some point."

Lambert said that Stackhouse, who left his driver's license inside
the building, departed the property the same way he'd come - on
foot.

"It was a tense situation, and a little scary," Lambert said.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office investigated the case, Lambert
said, and Stackhouse was finally located early Sunday using
information from his driver's license.

Lambert said he's been part of a lawsuit challenging the city of
Knoxville's right to annex his property and asked specifically for
sheriff's deputies to respond. "As a county commissioner, I'd rather
my own people come out," he said.

Stackhouse was charged with attempted aggravated robbery and was
being held at the Knox County Detention Facility in lieu of $15,000
bond, a jail employee said.

[enfield]

[MountainJoe]