In the spring of 2022, a violent confrontation outside a North Knoxville bar cut short the life of Patrick Petty, a 30-year-old male from Harrogate, Tennessee. On the night of April 29th, in the parking lot of Hatmaker's Bar & Grill, an altercation believed to be between the Outlaw Motorcycle Club and the Pagans Motorcycle Club erupted into a deadly shootout.
When Knoxville Police Department officers arrived at the scene on Tazewell Pike around 9:45 p.m., they discovered a chaotic scene with multiple gunshot victims.
Petty, along with 46-year-old Kenneth Burgett of Knoxville, was found deceased in the parking lot. The violence of the encounter left three other men wounded. Two men, aged 36 and 28, were located at the scene with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and transported to a local hospital. A fifth man, who was 30 years old, reportedly fled the scene and later arrived at Claiborne Medical Center with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound before being airlifted to the U.T. Medical Center for treatment.
Investigators quickly determined that the deadly incident was the result of a fight that broke out between the two rival motorcycle gangs. The preliminary investigation pointed to members of both the Outlaw Motorcycle Club and the Pagans Motorcycle Club being involved in the fatal exchange of gunfire. Despite the public nature of the confrontation and the number of individuals involved, authorities have not announced any arrests or filed charges in connection with the deaths of Patrick Petty and Kenneth Burgett. The Knoxville Police Department has continued to investigate the case and has urged anyone with information to come forward, while the community has raised concerns about the violence associated with the location.
