Police Respond To Tuesday Night Shooting

Newport police responded Tuesday night to a residence on Old Cave Church Road about a man lying on a front porch that had been shot. Officers arrived and found a 36 year old black male who identified himself as James Powell. He told police that he had been at the Ruby Tuesday’s on Cosby Highway and had been picked up by a 22 year old white male in a gold Lincoln Navigator. Powell stated he had been stripped naked and shot in the back on Seabrook Street. An officer confirmed what appeared to be a gunshot wound in Powell’s back just above his left hip. Police canvassed the area and found a bag of to go food on Seabrook Street and a 9mm casing nearby. Employees at Ruby Tuesday stated they did not recall seeing Powell, but a clerk at the Kenjo Market across the highway stated she had sold beer to a man matching James Powell’s description between 8:30 and 9:30 Tuesday evening. Powell was transported to the Newport Medical Center where he was then transferred to the UT Medical Center in Knoxville. Detectives have not yet found the suspect driving the gold Lincoln Navigator.