Knoxville Family Faces Home Intruder in Terrifying Early Morning Encounter

KNOXVILLE, TN

Woman Faces Intruder in Her Own Home

A normal night took a terrifying turn for a Knoxville family when they found an intruder in their home early Friday morning. Around 2:15 a.m., Ellen Roy and her family were jolted from their sleep by a series of disturbing noises, culminating in a frightening encounter with an unknown man.

According to reports, the stranger, later identified as Isaiah Shuman, 21, had been involved in a chaotic incident earlier that night. After being kicked out of a local bar, he reportedly threatened to kill an employee. Following this, he crashed his vehicle into a retaining wall before fleeing on foot to the Mechanicsville area, where he broke into the Roy residence.

Ellen Roy recounted the moment she woke up to chaos. “All of a sudden I heard a crash, bang, boom. I jumped up out of my bed and I saw my son tackling this young man at my front door,” she said. Tension filled the space as her son shouted at the man to leave their home, while Ellen tried to discern the situation.

Things escalated quickly as Ellen learned that Shuman had physically assaulted her son during the struggle. “Somehow he made a move and my son got him in the kitchen. He literally had my son up against the fridge choking him, trying to kill him,” explained Ellen, visibly shaken. Fortunately, Ellen’s husband Matt, a bigger guy, intervened with a frying pan and managed to help pull the intruder away from their son.

The ordeal lasted more than 30 minutes, with the family attempting to convince Shuman to leave. “We were bickering with this guy trying to convince him he’s got to leave my house,” Ellen recalled. Shuman reportedly resisted, saying he needed to “talk to his brother” and expressed that he didn’t want to harm anyone.

“He said he couldn’t leave because he ‘broke both his ankles’. I told him he seemed fine and asked him to walk to me,” Ellen noted, demonstrating the shocking depth of the encounter. “He didn’t move, so I told him his ankle wasn’t broken and that he needed to go.”

Despite the family’s efforts, Shuman remained in the home, seemingly refusing to exit until forced out. He eventually fled through the back door after allegedly taking a phone from the Roy household.

Knoxville Police responded quickly to the unfolding situation. Officers later apprehended Shuman, who is now facing multiple serious charges. These include four counts of aggravated kidnapping, three counts of leaving the scene of an accident, as well as charges for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, and reckless endangerment.

Ellen Roy’s story serves as a reminder of the potential dangers that can strike unexpectedly. While the outcome could have been much worse, her family is relieved to have quickly reunited and ensured their safety. “I don’t know if he would have hurt me or not, but I’m so grateful we got through this night without more harm,” she said.

As this situation unfolds, the community watches closely, now reminded to stay vigilant about their safety at home.