MTSU frat leader faces rape, impersonating officer charges

Natalie Neysa Alund | nalund@tennessean.com

An accomplished MTSU student recently elected to the highest governing panel of his fraternity has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated rape, impersonating a police officer and other felony charges, Metro police said Tuesday.

Clinton Knox III, a senior accounting major from Memphis, faces one count of rape, one count of aggravated rape, one count of aggravated robbery and two counts of impersonating a police officer in connection to the crimes that took place April 22-23, court papers show.

After a Davidson County grand jury indicted him last month, a sealed indictment was issued. Knox, 22, was arrested around 7:20 p.m. Monday at a Wenlon Drive apartment in Murfreesboro after local police received an anonymous tip. He was then transported to the Metro Nashville Criminal Justice Center.

Details about the crime were not available Tuesday, but, according to the Nov. 6 indictment, Knox raped a woman while armed with what appeared to be a weapon, robbed her of cash and pretended to be a police officer on those April dates.

The Daily News Journal does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.

Knox was being held at the Metro jail Tuesday. Each charge carries a $75,000 bond, but Knox is being held without bond, pending DNA testing, according to the DCSO.

Knox was named an undergraduate grand board director for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in August. In addition to his national and international fraternity work, he was an MTSU student ambassador and a member of the Student Government Association. He was a co-founder of The Young and Educated, a nonprofit organization.

MTSU spokesman Andrew Oppmann said the university was unaware of the allegations until contacted by the media.

“We take these matters very seriously, and we are currently seeking more information,” he said.

Daily News Journal reporter Mary Reeves contributed to this report.

Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at 615-259-8072. Follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.com.

Reach Mary Reeves at 615-278-5109. Follow her on Twitter @MaryReevesDNJ. ​