Man charged in connection with vehicle stolen at gunpoint

Published 1:23 pm Friday, March 10, 2023

A Carter County man has been arrested on multiple charges in connection with an incident where a man reported a family member had stolen his vehicle at gunpoint on March 7.

Deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Zachary Ryan Bratton, 20, of Weaver Hill Road, Wednesday night on a warrant charging him with aggravated domestic assault, vandalism, and auto theft. The charges against Bratton stem from an investigation into an incident that occurred on the afternoon of March 7 where a 911 caller reported a family member stole his vehicle at gunpoint after threatening him with the rifle.

When officers arrived on scene they spoke with the 911 caller, who reported he was working outside his home when his step-son, identified as Zachary Bratton, came outside and began loading items into the caller’s vehicle. The caller said Bratton had previously damaged the vehicle, so he had hidden the keys to keep him from taking the car again.

The man reported to deputies he told Bratton that he could not take the car and Bratton became irate. The man said Bratton retrieved a rifle, fired a shot from it, and threatened to kill him. The man said he eventually gave Bratton the keys, and Bratton held him at gunpoint and forced him to go back inside his home. The man said Bratton then fled the residence, taking the rifle and the caller’s vehicle, a 2018 white Ford Fiesta.

Deputies obtained a warrant for Bratton’s arrest on charges of aggravated domestic assault, vandalism, and auto theft. Bratton turned himself in at the Carter County Detention Center around 10 p.m. Wednesday and was arrested on the warrant.

Bratton is currently being held in the Carter County Detention Center under a $50,000 bond.