Tennessee man accused of driving into woman, hitting another

Published 9:21 am Tuesday, January 7, 2020

MEMPHIS (AP) — A Tennessee man is accused of punching a woman and then crashing his car into his girlfriend during an argument.

Kenneth Lyles, 30, was arrested Wednesday on charges including aggravated assault and criminal impersonation of an officer, news outlets report.

A woman told authorities that she was at a Memphis bar early New Year’s Day when she was repeatedly punched in the face by Lyles, who was recorded identifying himself as a “Shelby County officer,” according to court records. He has no affiliation with county authorities, investigators say.

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He later was overheard arguing with his girlfriend in a nearby parking garage, court records say. Two witnesses told authorities that Lyles then jumped into his pickup truck and drove it into his girlfriend before leaving the scene. She was hospitalized. Her condition wasn’t immediately clear as of Friday morning.

It’s unclear if Lyles has a lawyer. He was awarded a bond of more than $210,000. He’s expected to appear in court again later this month.