Knoxville Gunshow Over Weekend Unlicenced Private Sellers,Meth,Kidnapping Deputy&More.

[Garufa]

ATF agents and local LE were undercover at this past weekend's gun show in Knoxville "searching for unlicensed sellers and gangs out to arm themselves".  They struck paydirt in the form of a Detroit gang member making multiple purchases of guns and accessories.  As part of his apprehension, the felon took off with a KPD officer in the back of his van and crashed, causing injury to the officer.

https://www.wate.com/news/local-news/atf-investigation-at-knoxville-gun-show-leads-to-arrest-of-detroit-gang-member/

[RED333]

From the story

"Federal court paperwork shows the encounter started as part of a long-running investigation that put undercover officers inside area gun shows in an effort to identify unlicensed sellers, "

Are these unlicensed sellers the people sell more than a few firearms a year? Or do you have to have a license to sell at the Knoxville show?

[Erik88]

4 hours ago, Garufa said:

ATF agents and local LE were undercover at this past weekend's gun show in Knoxville "searching for unlicensed sellers and gangs out to arm themselves".  They struck paydirt in the form of a Detroit gang member making multiple purchases of guns and accessories.  As part of his apprehension, the felon took off with a KPD officer in the back of his van and crashed, causing injury to the officer.

https://www.wate.com/news/local-news/atf-investigation-at-knoxville-gun-show-leads-to-arrest-of-detroit-gang-member/

Knoxville has some sort of connection with Detroit that goes deeper than sharing the same interstate. This is probably the 10th time over the last several years that a local news story has mentioned someone from Detroit being arrested in Knoxville. Several of stories were murders. Gang related I'm guessing. 

[Sleep profit]

I hope they don’t use this as a excuse to not have shows  to answer above question you can sell as a private individual at show buying a table  or walking around as long as gun is legal no sawed off for example  no license required  however I have heard ATF  legal is 4 guns per year for private person  I really enjoy the show  when time permits  never know when a deal will come in 

[FUJIMO]

Its a well known occurrence, having atf patrolling the shows looking for nefarious activity. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by FUJIMO

[Sleep profit]

I have never had a problem but know others that have  at spot checks on guns. at tables  turning up stolen guns  sure ATF knew what what they were likely to find with this person tho 

[Grayfox54]

ATF and other LE agencies are well known for attending gun shows. They are also known to try to set up sellers for a bust. One of the most common is to have an out of state buyer try to buy from an un-licensed seller. I once was set up at the Jackson show and had a guy all set to buy a rather expensive gun from me. That one sale would have made my day. But when I asked to see ID, he pulled out a Mississippi drivers license. I had to turn him down. ALWAYS check a buyers ID. 

As for the gangs. many of the big gangs in large northern cities have associates in southern cities. When one of their boys gets in trouble with the law, they just send them south until things cool down. Works the other way around too. 

[Erik88]

14 hours ago, FUJIMO said:

Its a well known occurrence, having atf patrolling the shows looking for nefarious activity. 

I'm sure we all feel similar about the ATF, but if they are catching people like this then it sounds like the type of work we want them to be doing. Seems like a legitimate use of their resources. 

Having that type of criminal activity at the gun shows only makes things worse for the rest of us. 

[btq96r]

3 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I'm sure we all feel similar about the ATF, but if they are catching people like this then it sounds like the type of work we want them to be doing. Seems like a legitimate use of their resources. 

Having that type of criminal activity at the gun shows only makes things worse for the rest of us. 

It's a double edged sword.  I'm with you that this is the right kind of work...going after actual criminal activity in firearms procurement.  But the examples will be used to try and close the "private seller" exemption/loophole. 

[FUJIMO]

28 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I'm sure we all feel similar about the ATF, but if they are catching people like this then it sounds like the type of work we want them to be doing. Seems like a legitimate use of their resources. 

Having that type of criminal activity at the gun shows only makes things worse for the rest of us. 

As you mentioned earlier in this thread I feel like this goes MUCH deeper and it just so happens him illegally buying a weapon is what got him this time. I think it happening at a show this past weekend is just the story they are covering with. Im still not a proponent of being constantly watched under the guise of "my protection" but there's no turning that around now

[Erik88]

5 minutes ago, FUJIMO said:

As you mentioned earlier in this thread I feel like this goes MUCH deeper and it just so happens him illegally buying a weapon is what got him this time. I think it happening at a show this past weekend is just the story they are covering with. Im still not a proponent of being constantly watched under the guise of "my protection" but there's no turning that around now

Agreed. But if gang members(or people that associate with them) are buying guns at the shows, I would rather they be caught. 

But you're right it will be used against us either way. 

[JD_Shellnut]

I just read that article referenced by user Garufa in the opening post. That officer is very fortunate that he wasn’t hurt much worse, don’t you think? I hope they throw the book at them for that madness. Seriously, how insane would you have to be to take off trying to ‘escape’, when the person of whom you’re trying to escape from is in the same vehicle as you are! Don’t get me wrong fellers, growing up I remember my dad driving an LTD where I felt like I was in a different zip code in the back seat from him in the front, but what that gang banger tried was just ridiculous! How some of these officers are able to maintain their wits and discipline during such situations are quick reminders that they’re a cut above someone like myself. My flesh would've quickly got the better of me and, regardless of outcome (I.e. driverless vehicle careening down a mountainside into a river, etc), I think I would’ve at least been tempted to have opened up a third eye socket in this perp. 

It became pretty clear what the guy was thinking, as I read down a few lines; he wasn’t thinking at all! He was so high he could hockey in a dump truck! 
 

Regarding the Detroit connection, I have to agree with the user above…something definitely going on h’yah! I remember reading something or possibly watching something about an enormous gang connection between Atlanta and Detroit several years back. It was highly organized and the amount of weapons, drugs, and money that flowed was staggering…perhaps they have been under so much heat that they’re trying their luck in Knoxville? I was thinking even as far back as when those two young kids were brutally murdered, Christian/Newsome, that there was some kind of Detroit connection with that as well, but I could be mistaken. Regardless, it is undoubtedly a harbinger of greater trouble if something isn’t done to quash it soon - “you gotta nip it…nip it in the bud”!!!

 

Hey, wonder if you can still see Kevin Costner’s Colt from Dances with Wolves at these shows? I’ll never forget how disappointed I was the first time I realized they weren’t talking about his horse!!!

 

Just messing there but that really was a pretty horse.

[Will]

Did not see story here,was not there for it.  Out of State gang member buying many guns and aftermath. Many news stories  Google Knoxville ATF Knoxville Gunshow.

[MikeW]

Already a thread here about it... no need to fire up the google

[Godcountrygun]

What?

 

[TGO David]

Moving this to the general chat forum.  It doesn't belong in the Events & Gatherings forum.

[Erik88]

3 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Moving this to the general chat forum.  It doesn't belong in the Events & Gatherings forum.

Can you merge it into the existing threads? We have two for the same topic. 

[TGO David]

3 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

Can you merge it into the existing threads? We have two for the same topic. 

Link to the other?

[Erik88]

18 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Link to the other?

https://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/124078-knoxville-gun-show-undercover-investigation/

[JD_Shellnut]

On 4/28/2022 at 9:47 PM, Will said:

Did not see story here,was not there for it.

I apologize in advance for my confusion, I’m well aware (and have come to accept) that I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer by any stretch of the imagination, but I was simply referring to the article hyperlink that the OP placed there at the bottom of his post. I thought that was what we were discussing….was this not the case? Certainly won’t be by first mistake since I’ve tried to become a contributing member of some of these interesting discussions! Please feel free to set me straight, sir…or anyone for that matter. Please.

I believe that I just do this type of thing pretty often as one of the names I often get called at work is “Trig”. I was told it was due to my tendency to derail a conversation along a tangential arc, and as I work alongside some rather nerdy folk (myself included), I get the name “trig”, as opposed to lefty, slick, baldy, stud muffin, etc.