Police responded to a disturbance at a local liquor store after an employee was reportedly struck while trying to stop a theft. The suspect fled the scene but was later located and taken into custody along with the allegedly stolen item.
On January 26th, at approximately 3:21 p.m., the Knoxville Police Department was dispatched to the Super Quick Liquor Store, located in the 700 block of W. Pleasant Street, regarding a disturbance.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with an employee who stated that AaRon Jans struck a store employee and fled after allegedly attempting to steal merchandise. According to court records, the employee tried to stop Jans from leaving with the stolen items. During the incident, Jans reportedly knocked the employee to the ground, causing redness and pain to their back.
An eyewitness reported seeing Jans flee the store and run toward the 200 block of E. Pleasant Street. Officers responded to that location and, upon entering an apartment building, heard Jans speaking loudly about the incident. Knoxville Police knocked on the door and found Jans just inside the apartment, along with the bottle of liquor that had reportedly been stolen.
Jans was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he is being held on a $1,000 cash/surety bond.
A pretrial conference is scheduled for February 6th. Jans is charged with assault causing bodily injury or mental illness, a serious misdemeanor.
