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A Townsend man was arrested after he was accused of chasing a Maryville man with an ax, while screaming profanities and racist comments.

James Ervin Allred, 44, Dry Valley Road, Townsend, was charged by Blount County Sheriff’s deputies with aggravated assault. He was being held in lieu of a $5,000 bond pending a 1:30 p.m. May 11 hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court.

According to a sheriff’s office report, Deputy Eric Barton responded at 7:48 p.m. Saturday to Cecilia Avenue and spoke to a 23-year-old Maryville man who said that he and a 20-year-old Walland man were at his friends’ house. He said while at the residence, Allred showed up and told the 23-year-old man to leave.

The Maryville man said he told Allred “that he wasn’t going to leave because he had the right to be there.” He said Allred “came back to the residence with an ax.”

“(The Maryville man) said Mr. Allred chased him with an ax and was screaming profanities and making racial comments toward him while chasing him up the road,” Barton reported.

The Walland man told deputies that the Maryville man was arguing with Allred and Allred’s daughter when Allred “left the residence to go get an ax. The Walland man said Allred chased them to another residence on Cecelia Avenue.

Argument 'only verbal'

Barton spoke with Allred who said the encounter was “only verbal and that he didn’t chase the subject with an ax.” Allred told him that the Maryville man was not supposed to be at the Cecelia Avenue residence.

A warrant was issued on Sunday for Allred’s arrest and he was taken to the Blount County Jail.

We'll have more developments on this story as they occur or in Tuesday's print edition of The Daily Times.