Greenback mayor's jaw broken after confronting intruder

GREENBACK (WATE) - The mayor of Greenback said he is lucky to be alive after being assaulted at his home early Thursday morning.

Investigators are still looking for the suspect responsible.

Greenback Mayor Tom Peeler will not be able to talk clearly for the next four weeks because his jaw was broken and had to be wired shut.

Peeler was awakened Thursday morning by a motion alarm he had recently installed on his back porch.

When Peeler looked out his window he said he could see a man standing near his golf cart parked in the back. Peeler grabbed his H&R silver plated .22 pistol and decided to confront the intruder.

Since Peeler's mouth is wired shut, his granddaughter, Faith Blankenship, translated for him.

"He saw him walking... towards his truck," said Blankenship. Then she said her grandfather told the man to stop or else he would shoot.

Peeler than grabbed the suspect by the arm and dragged him back towards the house. That's when the family said things went sour.
    
"Papaw stopped him, and pointed the gun to him," said Blankenship. "(He) banged on the side of the porch, (then the) guy head butted him in the jaw."

The suspect was able to get Peeler's gun away from him.

"When Nana woke up she opened the door," said Blankenship. "Papaw told her to call 911 and that's when the guy took off."

Mayor Peeler got a good description of the man who assaulted him.

He said the man was white, in his early twenties, six feet tall, and weighed approximately 220 pounds. He had short black hair, was clean shaven and wearing black pants and a black T-shirt.

The suspect was driving a white pick-up. Peeler says it was either a Ford Ranger or Chevy S-10.

The suspect had two beer cans he had taken out of the Peeler's back porch refrigerator in his hand when Peeler confronted him. The only thing he got away with was Peeler's pistol.

Since the mayor can't talk, he wrote a message on his dry erase board for the suspect. "I hope you are happy, but please come back one more time."

There has been a jump in crime in Greenback in the past two weeks. Several of Peeler's neighbors have had their vehicles broken into at night.

If you have any information about the suspect who assaulted the mayor, please call the Loudon County Sheriff's Department at 865-986-4823.