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KPD: Man caught trying to steal boat faces theft, evading arrest charges

Police said the suspect jumped into Fort Loudoun Lake to try and escape them following a failed attempt to steal the watercraft.

UPDATE 10 AM Wednesday: A homeless man identified as Jeffery C. Newcomb faces felony theft and evading arrest charges after police say he tried to steal a boat Tuesday.

The Knoxville Police Department released his name Wednesday.

The boat owner, identified as Jacob Rheude, found Newcomb, who turned 29 on Tuesday, trying to steal his watercraft at 400 Neyland Drive, according to KPD. It originally was reported that police went to the Volunteer Landing Marina.

Records list Newcomb as homeless.

"The owner quickly took pictures of the suspect, who then fled west towards the UT rowing house," according to KPD. "When officers located the suspect by the rowing house, Newcomb jumped into the river in an attempt to elude officers. After multiple attempts to apprehend the suspect, he was removed from the water and taken into custody."

According to a warrant, Newcomb was "verbally aggressive with officers and stated he would drown them if they came in the water. the suspect attempted to swim away from officers when he was pepper sprayed. The pepper spray was effective and the suspect was pulled into the boat."

Newcomb has a Sept. 23 arraignment.

PREVIOUS STORY: A man is in custody after police said he jumped into the Tennessee River to escape them after failing to steal a boat at Volunteer Landing Marina.

According to the Knoxville Police Department, officers responded to the attempted boat theft around 9 a.m. Tuesday. 

Police said the suspect ran after the failed attempt before they confronted him near the Wayne G. Basler Boathouse on Neyland Drive.

The suspect then jumped into the river to try and escape them, police said. Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office and the Knoxville Fire Department arrived with boats to assist, and officers pulled the suspect out of the water and took him into custody around 9:50 a.m.

Charges are pending for the suspect.

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