Man charged with attempted murder in home invasion
Published 10:36 pm Thursday, May 4, 2017
- Timothy Stapp
A Carter County man faces multiple felony charges after police say he broke into a Stoney Creek home and held one of the residents at gun point and shot at the resident as he tried to escape.
Deputies with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Timothy Stapp, 44, of Elizabethton, on Thursday and charged him charged with attempted first degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, armed dangerous felonies, and carrying or possession of a weapon.
According to information released by the Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the home of Drew and Cynthia Cave on Mill Creek Road at approximately 8 a.m. Thursday after Cynthia Cave called 911 and reported a man was holding her husband hostage at gunpoint in their home. Mrs. Cave was able to flee to a neighbor’s house to call 911 after the man entered their home.
“Deputies responded, approached the home, and announced their presence. At that point Mr. Cave took his opportunity to escape,” Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford said in a released statement Thursday night. “Mr. Cave ran from the suspect, now identified as Timothy Stapp, toward the Deputies. The suspect fired four shots at Mr. Cave as he ran.”
Deputies saw Stapp in the driveway of the home and Stapp allegedly pointed a pistol toward officers and Mr. Cave.
“Deputies fired at the suspect who fled over the embankment in front of the home,” Lunceford said, adding deputies pursued the man. “Additional Deputies arriving on the scene blocked the armed suspect’s escape down the driveway. One of the arriving officers observed the
armed suspect point his weapon toward the Deputies pursuing him, and fired another shot at Stapp.”
“Stapp surrendered and was taken into custody,” Lunceford continued, adding that no injuries were reported.
According to Lunceford, Stapp told investigators with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office report that Stapp stated that he arrived at the Cave residence before dawn, and waited several hours for Mr. Cave to come out and go to work.
“Stapp stated that when he saw Mr. Cave’s garage door open, he approached Mr. Cave with a pistol and ordered him back into the house,” Lunceford said. “Stapp stated that when he saw Deputies through a window he forced Mr. Cave into a rear bedroom at gunpoint. Stapp stated that Cave fled toward the officers when he heard them announce their presence. Stapp reported that he shot at Mr. Cave in the hallway of the residence as he fled toward the Officers.”
Stapp is being held in the Carter County Detention Center under a $70,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in General Sessions Court on Friday morning.
