A suspect is on the run after shooting a Knoxville Police Department officer on Washington Pike in front of a Northeast Knoxville shopping center.
A man known to police as a member of the Aryan Nations white supremacist gang is on the run after shooting a Knoxville Police Department officer with a shotgun on Thursday night, KPD Chief David Rausch said.
Officer Jay Williams, a 14-year KPD veteran, was shot once in the shoulder. He was taken in a police vehicle to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where Rausch said he is in "great spirits" and is expected to recover.
Authorities were searching for 31-year-old Ronnie Lucas Wilson, who has an unrelated, outstanding warrant for violation of probation for aggravated assault and should be considered armed and dangerous, Rausch said.
Just after 8:30 p.m., on Washington Pike in front of a Target department store in Northeast Knoxville, Williams tried to conduct a traffic stop on Wilson, who was speeding, Rausch said.
As both cars were still moving, Wilson fired one round from a shotgun, Rausch said. He then stopped the car, got out and fired "multiple rounds" before driving away, Rausch said.
"The officer, as far as I'm aware, did not fire his weapon," Rausch said.
Police are seeking an attempted murder warrant against Wilson in the shooting of Williams, Rausch said.
Wilson, who has a Tazewell Pike address, may be driving a black, mid-70s model Chevrolet Nova with a red stripe on the hood, police said.
Law enforcement agencies across the state are "very familiar" with Wilson, Rausch said.
In Knox County, he was convicted of aggravated burglary in 2011 and was sentenced to serve three years in a state prison, according to court records.
Authorities ask anyone who sees Wilson to call E-911 immediately. Callers can remain anonymous.
"If see this vehicle, if you know this individual, do not try to intervene," Rausch said.
"If he is going to take a shot at an officer, he won't hesitate to shoot at anyone else."
Reporter Travis Dorman can be reached at 865-342-6315, at travis.dorman@knoxnews.com or on Twitter @travdorman.