A stop for a pop, a hunch lead to arrest of suspected kidnapper

CARYVILLE, TN (WLAF) – A Knoxville man remains housed in the Campbell County Jail this morning on a $3-million dollar secure bond and is facing multiple charges including two counts of aggravated kidnapping along with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon.

“I just stopped in there to get something to drink, and I got a real sense something wasn’t right,” said Caryville Police Detective John Minor. On Tuesday afternoon at the Exxon next to Shoney’s is where the Iraq war veteran and now CPD detective saw a man standing next to an SUV begin acting nervous when Minor looked his way.

With the door to the SUV open, trash fell out of the vehicle as the detective watched 35 year old Michael Paul Lee of Knoxville appear to put something under the passenger seat, but Minor couldn’t see what it was. The detective walked over and asked Lee if he was going to pick up the trash, and he told him yes and did stuffing it in one of the gas station’s trash bins. “He wouldn’t look at me,” said Minor.

Detective Minor turned his attention to a woman with Lee who was crying as she was heading to the gas station restroom. When Lee, who Minor said appeared aggravated, was asked what was wrong, Lee described it as “just dealing with family stuff, arguing.” The woman came out of the gas station and told the detective that Lee had a gun. Minor detained Lee as the woman said he’d probably put it in the trash can.

A gun wasn’t found in the trash though Minor located what was likely heroin inside a bag in the trash bin. “It had to be his, because there wasn’t any other trash in the container,” said Minor. He also saw several syringes in the SUV.

Found under the passenger seat where Lee was placing something earlier was a SCCY hand gun with five rounds in the magazine, one round in the chamber and the safety in the off position according to the arrest report from Caryville Police.

Detective Minor explained that Lee allegedly had gotten into the SUV forcefully with the woman and another person and had them drive him around as he held a gun to their head.

Lee is due in court on March 29 at 9am. He is facing charges of two counts of aggravated kidnapping along with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon as well as tampering with evidence, possession of a handgun by a felon, possession of a handgun in commission of a felony and possession of schedule I. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 03/25/2022-6AM)