A Middlesboro man who was wanted for violating parole and who had fled after a standoff with Middlesboro Police in February was taken into custody early Wednesday morning (March 26) through a joint operation with the U.S. Marshal Service, the ATF Violent Crimes Task Force and other agencies.

25-year-old Timothy Hunter Cole was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, menacing, fleeing or evading police – 1st degree, harboring a vicious animal, five counts of wanton endangerment – 1st degree (police officer), and 23 counts of terroristic threatening – 3rd degree. He was also served his initial parole violation warrant.

According to a release from the Middlesboro Police Department, officers attempted to serve Cole with a parole violation warrant on Feb. 20, 2025. That violation stemmed from his conviction on attempted manslaughter in 2019.

After a brief standoff, Cole fled on foot, evading arrest. The criminal complaint states that Cole was “in possession of a loaded handgun, threatened police officers, caused a pit bull dog to bite an officer, and fled from officers” when they tried to apprehend him.

During Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson’s investigation, it was also discovered that Cole made several threats of using firearms to murder Middlesboro Law Enforcement Officers if they attempted to apprehend him again.

After one month of unsuccessfully attempting to locate Cole, a U.S. Marshal Agent and an ATF Agent contacted the Middlesboro Police Department to coordinate efforts to apprehend Cole.

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, the Middlesboro Police Department, United States Marshals Service, the ATF Violent Crimes Task Force, the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office Swat Team, the Williamsburg Police Department, and the Kentucky Army National Guard Recon Unit conducted a joint operation to locate and apprehend Cole. The operation began before 4:30 a.m. and Cole was safely apprehended on Robinson Lane in Middlesboro, Kentucky at 6:47 a.m.

The Middlesboro Police Department thanked all the agencies involved in this successful apprehension, including a special thank you to Middlesboro Fire/EMS and Air Evac.

Cole had been on parole since October of 2024 for charges incurred in December of 2019 when Middlesboro Police responded to a report of a shooting at Cumberland Village Apartments involving Cole and 22-year-old Katelynn Boatright. Video footage from the incident showed that the pair had handguns and were shooting at each other multiple times, but no one was injured.

When Middlesboro officers arrived on the scene, they found empty shell casings on the ground from a handgun and retrieved the handgun Hunter Cole fired during the shootout.

A Be On the Lookout was issued for the Chevy Cruze that Boatright had fled the scene in with another male. Warrants were issued for Cole and Boatright.

Weeks later, Boatright was arrested on Exeter Avenue after being served a criminal complaint warrant for attempted murder, wanton endangerment – 1st degree, disorderly conduct – 2nd degree, and she was also served a failure to appear bench warrant which had no bond.

Cole was arrested on March 15, 2020, after a traffic stop on a vehicle in which he was a passenger. He was originally charged with attempted murder, disorderly conduct – 2nd degree, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of wanton endangerment-1st degree. According to the Department of Corrections, he was sentenced on November 16, 2020, to eight years for the attempted manslaughter and five years each on the other charges, which were all to run concurrently. Cole was granted parole on October 25, 2024.

Cole violated his parole in December of 2024 by absconding, failing to report his home address change, and failing to report to his parole officer. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.