SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – A 33-year-old man, Mark Harden, was arrested on October 16 after an hours-long standoff with the Sevierville Police Department at the Smokies Motel. The arrest concluded a day that, according to court records, began with Harden allegedly dousing a woman in gasoline and setting her face on fire. He now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and kidnapping.
Police were dispatched to the Smokies Motel on October 16 after Harden reportedly hunkered down inside a room. When officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, he refused to exit the room and barricaded himself inside. Due to the severity of the charges Harden was facing and the potential that he was armed, the Sevierville Police Department's SWAT team was activated. Crisis negotiators and a police K9 unit were also deployed to the location to assist with the situation, as stated by Public Information Officer Bob Stahlke.
The standoff lasted approximately three hours. Police officials reported that Harden was eventually located inside a room, where he had concealed himself underneath a pile of clothes and a mattress. He was subsequently taken into custody.
The incident leading to the extensive police response earlier that day involved allegations of a violent assault. Court records obtained in connection with the case detail the woman's account to officers upon their arrival on October 16. She informed police that Harden had poured a can of gasoline on her, then shoved her onto a couch before grabbing a lighter.
According to these records, the woman told officers that Harden was able to ignite her face. She described putting out the flames by quickly running sink water over herself. Following the assault, the woman managed to flee the house where the incident occurred. She subsequently sought and received help from individuals nearby. Records confirm that she was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment of first- and second-degree burns she sustained during the alleged attack.
Following his arrest at the Smokies Motel, Harden was charged with a slew of offenses, including aggravated assault and kidnapping. The details of his arrest and the severe nature of the charges underscore the extensive police resources deployed to resolve the barricaded suspect situation safely.
