Elizabethton Man Arrested on Kidnapping and Domestic Violence Charges

A Disturbing Incident

On June 24, 2024, a shocking incident rattled the quiet city of Elizabethton when a man was arrested for kidnapping and assault charges. David Frye, a 31-year-old man from Johnson City, now faces multiple charges, including especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated domestic assault, false imprisonment and domestic assault.

A Sequence of Frightening Events

The Carter County Sheriff’s Office revealed that around 12:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, a 911 call was received from a terrified woman reporting that her daughter was being held at gunpoint. According to her, Frye had forced the victim into a gold-colored SUV.

Apprehending the Assailant

Acting on the information, deputies swiftly spotted and intercepted the vehicle in question to perform a traffic stop. The suspect, Frye, was promptly arrested on the spot. On further investigation, the authorities found five existing warrants against him for a variety of charges, including three counts of domestic assault, theft of property, failure to appear in court, and an attachment for contempt out of juvenile court.

Discovering the Victim’s Ordeal

A woman in the passenger seat of the vehicle was found to bear visible signs of assault such as bruising and marks on her neck and face. The victim confirmed that the violent ordeal had started the previous Saturday when Frye had assaulted her by punching her in the head and throwing her around their residence on Hillside Drive.

The distressed woman revealed that Frye had become anxious that the assault may have been overheard and that someone would call the police. To escape this possibility, he forced her into the vehicle and they fled the residence for a while before eventually returning.

The ordeal continued after their return, when the victim tried to escape Frye’s wrath by stepping outside the residence and phoning her mother for help. But Frye intercepted her, produced a firearm from his vehicle, and held the gun to her head, forcing her back into the vehicle because she feared he might shoot her.

The authorities discovered a loaded firearm hidden under the driver’s seat of the vehicle where Frye had been apprehended. The gun was found to be loaded with a round already positioned in the chamber.

Aftermath

Following these shocking revelations, Frye was hit with charges of especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated domestic assault, false imprisonment, and domestic assault. He was taken to the Carter County Detention Center where he currently remains, without the possibility of bail.

Unsettlingly, it appears this is not the first instance of such behavior from Frye. The three outstanding warrants against him for domestic assault relate to incidents that occurred on May 15, May 23, and May 24. The victim involved in all these incidents was the same woman he had assaulted and kidnapped recently.