Feds prosecuting Tennessee man, a convicted felon, for allegedly pulling gun during Louisville protests

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Federal authorities are prosecuting a Tennessee man who police said drew a firearm after curfew during Louisville’s protests for racial justice.

Tevin R. Patton, of Memphis, is facing federal charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, according to a news release from the office of Russell Coleman, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

"We cherish First Amendment-protected speech in Kentucky but will not tolerate outsiders traveling to Louisville to do harm to our city and its people," Coleman said in the news release.

A U.S. Secret Service special agent saw Patton pull out a gun at about 10:20 p.m. Monday near South Fourth Street, where law enforcement officials were conducting surveillance, according to Coleman's office.

"Law enforcement at the scene then dispersed the crowd with tear gas and flash bang devices, striking Patton with pepper balls once he was observed pointing the gun in the air. Upon being struck by the pepper balls, Patton ran to his car and fled," Coleman’s office said in the news release.

Police stopped Patton’s vehicle and found a partially loaded .45-caliber pistol, with four rounds remaining in a 10-round magazine, according to the news release.

Patton pleaded guilty in 2013 to aggravated burglary and in 2016 to aggravated assault, authorities said. Both are felonies.

If convicted of the latest charge, Patton could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, Coleman’s office said.

The case is being investigated by the Secret Service; FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Louisville Metro Police Department.