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Linton man accused of multiple threats against law enforcement officers and others

A Linton man armed with a knife is accused of making multiple threats against other individuals then after he was taken into custody by Linton police officers, making multiple threats to find them when he got out of jail and kill them.

Steve Russell Knox, 51, Linton, was arrested by Lt. Bobby Pierce of the Linton Police Department on Monday night, April 19.

LPD dispatch got a call on Monday from a woman who said Knox had stolen her brother’s cell phone and had threatened to kill her brother. She said she heard Knox saying he was sharpening a knife for her brother's heart. She explained she was not present on the scene but she had been “butt dialed” and could hear this conversation on her phone. She reported that she drove to this scene to check on her brother but when she showed up, she saw Knox outside the residence wielding a knife so she left and called 911. She said her brother and another man were inside the garage trying to avoid a confrontation with Knox.

When Lt. Pierce and LPD Officer Cayden Walker arrived on scene, the brother who had been threatened said Knox came outside with a big knife and threatened to kill him but he chased Knox off and Knox went back into the residence. When asked to describe the knife, the man said Knox actually had two knives, a kitchen knife and a larger knife with a ram side handle.

When they talked to the other man on the scene, this witness said Knox threatened to kill the other man while holding a knife. The witness said he took the knife away from Knox and put it away.

As these officers were speaking with people on the scene, they heard a woman yelling from inside the house. She yelled for Lt. Pierce and ask for help. While she was standing at the front door with Knox standing behind her, she said he had been drinking all day and had been threatening people with knives and earlier in the day, he had struck her in the side of the head. Knox said he didn't do anything but he kept putting his hands in his pockets so he was asked to put his hands on top of his head while an officer did a safety pat down.

When Knox tried to pull away from an officer, he was advised that he would be tazed if he didn't stop. Knox then allegedly tensed up and said made threat toward the officer. Before he was put into a patrol vehicle, Knox allegedly told the other officer the same thing and during the ride to the Greene County Jail, Knox allegedly made multiple threats to Lt. Pierce about finding him when he got out of jail and killing him.

Knox was booked into the Greene County Jail around 10:39 PM with bond set at $13,500 surety with 10% cash allowed. As of late Wednesday night, he had not yet posted bond.

A criminal case has been filed against Knox in Greene Superior Court. He is facing charges of:

  • Intimidation using a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony,

  • Intimidation involving a threat in retaliation for a prior lawful act, a Class A misdemeanor,

  • Battery, a Class B misdemeanor,

  • Intimidation to a law enforcement officer, a Level 6 felony, and

  • Intimidation to a law enforcement officer, a Level 6 felony.