KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The third man charged in the shooting death of a Knoxville man on Fifth Avenue has been arrested.
The Knoxville Police Department said on Friday that Lawrence Stenson, 39, of Knoxville, was arrested by members of the Community Engagement Response Team. In December, police said that they were searching for three individuals charged with felony murder in the shooting death of Frank Vision, 49, of Knoxville, after what was believed to be an attempted robbery.
The East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers shared on Facebook that Stenson’s arrest came after they received several tips from individuals.
The other two men charged in relation to the shooting are Damante Golden, 29, of Knoxville, and Dashawn Johnson, 29. On December 21, police reported that Golden was booked on an outstanding, unrelated warrant. On Tuesday, Johnson’s arrest was announced by Knoxville Police.
According to the general sessions docket, police discovered Vinson lying in the street next to his Buick LaCrosse on the 2700 block of Fifth Avenue where he was pronounced dead after they responded to a call for a shooting on November 23. The docket says that police were alerted that Johnson was dropped off at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, and that the vehicle that dropped him off had fled.
After finding the vehicle that fled from the hospital, Knoxville Police say they located Stenson who was a passenger in the car with a gunshot wound to the left arm. Police also noted that Stenson had three key fobs on him, one of which was later found to unlock Vinson’s car. Police say that Stenson told them that the three had gone to the location of the shooting to buy liquor from Vinson and that as soon as Vinson handed them the bottle, someone started shooting and Stenson was struck.
The narrative in the general sessions docket alleges security footage showed a black, four door sedan, which matched the description of the Ford Fusion that Stenson was later found in, pulling up in front of where the shooting happen and parking just minutes before Vinson walked out of the residence. After this, the narrative says that the footage showed three figures getting out of the vehicle and rushing into the frame, yelling before three gunshots were fired.
Two figures were seen on the footage walking back into the frame, one of which fell to the ground while the other got into a the black sedan and drove away as 10 more gunshots were heard. Police say that the person on the ground got up, grabbed something metallic off the sidewalk, and hopped on one leg out of frame as a third person ran into frame from the area where Vinson was found. The third person then ran back to where Vinson was found and five more gunshots were heard on security footage, according to the narrative.
Police say around 40 to 50 seconds later, one final gunshot was heard on the security footage before three figures ran out of frame.
According to court records, Stenson, Johnson and Golden are charged with first degree murder. All three are in jail and are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, January 18.
