Man beaten and a plunger was stuffed in mouth, his child was almost kidnapped

quote:

---

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A 19-year-old man is accused of beating a man, pouring bleach on him and kidnapping his child.

Charles Coffman is charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, theft and tampering with evidence.

According to warrants, police were called to do a welfare check at 1200 Mercer Street around 8:45 a.m. Sunday. The warrants said someone called in saying they were concerned Coffman may have murdered a man and kidnapped his 3-year-old daughter.

Police forced entry into the home and found a naked man in the bathroom with a serious head injury and noted a strong smell of bleach, the warrants state. Police said they did not find the child and put a BOLO call for the victim's car, which had been stolen.

According to the warrants, Sevierville police stopped the car and found Coffman, a woman and the 3-year-old in the car. The child was taken to East Tennessee Children's Hospital for an evaluation, the warrants said.

The warrants said the victim suffered a subdural hematoma and other possible serious injuries. Police were not able to interview the victim.

When police interviewed the suspect, the warrants said Coffman's mother called from jail and told him to go to the home on Mercer Street to get the child on Saturday or Sunday. Coffman said an Uber took him and a woman to the house. The warrants clarify that it's the same woman who was later found with Coffman in the stolen car.

According to the warrants, Coffman said he got into the fight with the victim, slammed him to the ground, hit him in the face multiple times, hit him with a plunger and stuffed it into the victim's mouth.

The warrants said Coffman admitted to dragging the victim into the bathroom, stripping him naked and pouring bleach on the victim's wounds. He also admitted to taking the victims' car, but he said he had permission from his mother to take it.

---