KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA – JANUARY 28, 2026 Dramatic police operation ended with the death of a 46-year-old man and the arrest of a 15-year-old girl. The incident took place at the North Park Apartments on Tillery Road, where police responded to reports of a missing and endangered girl.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit had been tracking the man, Angel Melendez, who had active warrants for harboring a runaway child, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and theft of a firearm. The girl with him had been identified the day before by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as an endangered child.
Officers from the Special Operations Squad arrived around 10:30 a.m. and entered the apartment. According to official reports, they encountered Melendez and the girl in a small bedroom. Melendez drew a pistol and aimed it at the officers. Lieutenant Shawn Shreve and Sergeant Chris Hutton fired at him. Melendez was struck and pronounced dead at the scene.
During the operation, the 15-year-old girl also stabbed Officer Terry Crowe in the helmet with a knife. Thanks to his protective gear, he was unharmed. The girl was safely secured and later charged with assault. Police reported that she was found uninjured.
KPD stated that Lieutenant Shreve and Sergeant Hutton were temporarily reassigned off-duty following the incident, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and KPD’s internal office investigate whether the officers acted in accordance with regulations.
READ MORE:
https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/02/05/knoxville-police-department-releases-body-camera-footage-deadly-tillery-road-apartment-shooting/
https://knoxvilletnpolice.gov/2026/02/video-released-from-january-28th-officer-involved-shooting-at-tillery-road-apartment/
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