Death by Cop 2026
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Joseph Wayne Wools
Age : 22
Gender : Unknown
Race : White
Date : 02/04/2026
Location : Rifle Range Road near Knoxville
City : Knoxville
County : Nox
State : Tennessee
Agency : Knox County Sheriff’s Office
Officer(s) :Unknown
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Driver killed by police chase crash
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 02/05/2026 in Knox County, deputies from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop that developed into a vehicle pursuit. The driver, identified as 22-year-old Joseph Wayne Wools, failed to stop and continued fleeing on Rifle Range Road. Police said Wools ran a stop sign while attempting to evade deputies and lost control of his vehicle, which then struck a tree. Emergency responders pronounced Wools dead at the location from crash-related injuries. Law enforcement did not report any additional injuries to deputies or other civilians. No information was provided in the initial reporting about recovery of weapons in Wools’s vehicle. Body camera or dash camera footage have not been publicly released as of the available reports. The sheriff’s office continues its investigative work on the incident.