Alert Overnight Police Work Leads to Arrest of Shooting Suspect

Alert overnight police work by South Precinct Officer Embree York led to the arrest of Kenneth S. Watt, 29, a convicted felon who was wanted for shooting another man in the parking lot of apartments at 97 Wallace Road in the early morning hours of May 25.

Officer York, aware that Watt was named in an attempted murder warrant in regard to the shooting, spotted him at the intersection of Murfreesboro Pike and Spence Lane and took him into custody without incident. York admitted that he sells drugs in the area and was carrying quantities of meth, crack cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana. During a subsequent interview with detectives, Watt admitted to shooting Julian Pinkston, 33, saying that Pinkston had stolen from him. Pinkston's gunshot wounds were not life-threatening.

Watt has convictions from Lake and Hamilton Counties for aggravated assault and robbery. In addition to attempted murder, Watt is charged with use of a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony, gun possession by a convicted felon, and felony possession of fentanyl, meth and cocaine. His bond is set at $146,000.