Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A convicted felon and alleged gang member is sentenced Friday in a 2021 Knoxville traffic stop.
Donald D. Kirkland, 42, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted violent felon and reckless endangerment.
According to the Knoxville District Attorney’s office, Kirkland was charged following a traffic stop in November of 2021 after a call came in to KPD about a drunk driver at the Weigels on Western Avenue. When officers arrived, they tracked the driver down on Western Avenue, prompting a chase.
Once officers were able to stop the car, the DA says, they found that Kirkland was driving and his passenger was overdosing. The Knoxville Fire Department treated the passenger, and KPD officers found a handgun in Kirkland’s pocket.
“Gang members caught with guns can expect to receive long sentences, especially when those gang members have violent criminal histories,” said DA Charme Allen.
Kirkland has a prior robbery conviction from 2007 and three drug trafficking convictions; he is also a reported member of the Crips street gang.
