Court officials say Douglas Cole Suhy of Oakdale pleaded guilty to theft over $60,000 and aggravated assault. The charges stem from an incident on New Year’s Eve of 2022 where he stole a box truck from the parking lot of Lowe’s in the Midtown area of Harriman.

Off-duty Roane County Sheriff’s Sergeant Gary Nelson witnessed the incident, exited his vehicle, and confronted Suhy commanding him to stop.

Suhy violently assaulted Nelson and returned to the truck. Suhy backed into a parked van and exited the parking lots of the shopping complex containing Lowe’s and Kroger.

Nelson, however, was able to pursue the fleeing Suhy who drove away in the stolen truck. Nelson maintained a visual on the truck until Harriman Police Sgt. Clifford Pemberton was able to stop and arrest Suhy.

Suhy was charged and later indicted by the District Attorney General’s Office at the Roane County Grand Jury in June of 2023.

Gary Nelson has been a law enforcement officer for 36 years. Nelson served as a patrol officer for over seven years at the Harriman Police Department before working for the Rockwood Police Department for less than a year. He then went to Kingston Police Department for 19 years where he rose to the rank of Assistant Chief for four years. In 2015 he went to work at Roane County Sheriff’s Office where he currently holds the rank of Sergeant in charge of the midnight shift. He has lost some sight in his right eye because of the assault, but he still performs his law enforcement duties regardless of the permanent injury.

Suhy was sentenced this week to eight years to serve in prison on the felony theft case and three years on the aggravated assault on Nelson.