Knoxville Woman Smears Dog Feces on Attacker’s Face During Escape

Police in Knoxville, Tennessee, recently responded to the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area after a suspect reportedly assaulted a woman while walking her dog on the trail.

“The 30-year-old woman told police that she was approached by a man, later identified to be Michael James Ward, and that he grabbed her, tried to drag her into the woods, and punched her multiple times on Sunday afternoon,” WVLT reported August 23.

An incident report said Ward pulled out a knife and threatened her with it, according to the outlet.

UPDATE: Michael James Ward was taken into custody this morning on E. Governor John Sevier Highway near National Drive. An alert citizen spotted him, notified authorities and he was taken into custody without incident by the Knox County Sheriff's Office. https://t.co/UGykarNdNR

— Knoxville Police TN (@Knoxville_PD) August 24, 2021

“The woman started to fight back by smearing a plastic bag of dog feces that she was carrying in the suspect’s face in an effort to escape,” the article continued.

The suspect then fled into the woods when two citizens rushed over to help the woman, officials said in a blog post.

“During the attack, the suspect also took the victim’s phone. Major Crimes Unit investigators and Crime Lab personnel responded to the scene to investigate the assault, while a K-9 officer was also called to the scene to attempt to track the suspect, but the K-9 lost the track near the river,” the post read.

In an update on Tuesday, the Knoxville Police Department said Ward had been taken into custody on E. Governor John Sevier Highway near National Drive.

“An alert citizen spotted him, notified authorities and he was taken into custody without incident by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office,” the post continued:

According to WATE, Ward was arrested on charges of aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping when a man noticed him in a convenience store, recognizing him thanks to social media posts seeking the suspect.

“Records show the man asked the suspect his name and when told, detained Ward until law enforcement could arrive to the 2800 block of John Sevier Highway,” the outlet said.

The suspect was arraigned Wednesday and a bond hearing reportedly took place Friday morning.