Man Arrested After Infant Dies from “Severe Injuries”
A Tennessee man is behind bars, facing first-degree murder charges after his 3-month-old son died from what authorities are calling “severe injuries.” Adrien Dokes, 18, was arrested Thursday evening by the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) in connection with the infant’s death.
According to a press release from the KPD, officers were called to an apartment on Forestal Drive around 8 p.m. on Thursday in response to an unresponsive infant. The child was rushed to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, where he passed away shortly after midnight on September 12.
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Knox County Sheriff’s Office records show that Dokes is charged with first-degree murder in perpetrating aggravated child abuse.
An arrest warrant provides chilling details, alleging that Dokes admitted to detectives to squeezing his son’s neck and chin, causing him to struggle for breath, and pushing down hard on his abdomen out of frustration. Responding officers had reportedly observed visible injuries around the baby’s jaw.
The KPD’s Homicide and Special Crimes units are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. An autopsy will be performed at the Regional Forensic Center to determine the precise cause of death and the full extent of the child’s injuries.
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Dokes is currently being held in the Knox County Jail on a $1 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing on September 15.
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