From The Times Tribune
A Gray man who allegedly threatened to kill his wife last month before firing a gun toward her has pleaded not guilty to his charges stemming from the alleged incident.
Brent Allen Hensley, 23, appeared in Knox Circuit Court for his arraignment Friday, where the plea was entered on his behalf.
The arraignment was originally supposed to have already taken place, but Hensley anticipated on hiring a private attorney to represent him, but still hadn’t done so as of Friday. He was appointed a public defender.
On Dec. 31, 2018, deputies with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to an Emanuel Hollow Road residence to investigate a complaint concerning a man shooting a handgun inside a home with his wife and four children present. When the deputies arrived at the scene, they identified themselves and gave Hensley commands to come to the door, though he allegedly refused.
When Hensley finally complied with the commands, he came out onto the porch of the home, where the deputies put him on the ground to detain him. When Hensley was informed that he was being placed under arrest, he allegedly became belligerent and non-compliant, kicking one of the deputies.
He was eventually detained and placed in a cruiser. Hensley’s wife allegedly told the deputies that he had assaulted her multiple times throughout the day and had taken her phone and keys, also stating that he had told her that he was going to “blow her brains out.” She told police that Hensley also stated that if she called the police that he would kill whoever showed up.
Deputies allegedly found at least one shell casing on the floor inside the home during a search.
Hensley was indicted last week by a Knox County grand jury, formally charging him with attempted murder, four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest, menacing and second-degree criminal mischief.
Hensley currently remains jailed in the Jackson County Detention Center under a $100,000 cash bond.