Murfreesboro's first arrest of the year might end up being the most bizarre.

Around 7:30 a.m. Jan. 1, Murfreesboro Police Department officers arrested Tommie Hurst (pictured below), 37, of Gold Valley Drive after he used a kitchen knife to threaten a group of people at a home on Sentry Court.

Hurst claimed he was protecting his niece when he went inside the house, retrieved a butcher knife and started pointing it at those assembled, according to an arrest report.

The incident began earlier in the night when two witnesses, Arthur and Jessica Chatman, got into an argument. During the argument, Jessica Chatman, who is Hurst's niece, fell off the porch of the home.

Hurst then got into an altercation with Arthur Chatman, presumably about the treatment of his niece. At this point, another witness Dedrick Futch separated the men.

"Once all parties were separated, it was determined that Tommie Hurst then went in the residence and retrieved a large kitchen knife," the arrest report said.

Hurst reportedly began chasing Arthur Chatman and Futch around the yard until Futch pulled a handgun from his vehicle and fired a shot into the air while telling Hurst to stop and walk away.

Witnesses told police Hurst then grabbed Futch's girlfriend Brooke Summers putting Summers "in fear for her safety," because of the knife in his hand, the report said.

In a failed attempt to defuse the situation, Brodge Hurst tried to intervene between Tommie Hurst, Summers and Futch.

"Futch had his handgun out and was attempting to protect Ms. Summers, Mr. Chatman and himself. It was determined that the gun went off two more times and one of the rounds struck Brodge Hurst in his left arm," the report said.

All witnesses left the scene after Bridge Hurst was shot. Futch and Summers returned to the scene when investigators asked them to. Futch also turned his handgun over the police.

After the excitement, Tommie Hurst "confessed to going back inside the residence and retrieving a kitchen knife to defend his niece, Jessica Chatman," the report said.

Tommie Hurst was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault. He was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, where he remains on $45,000 bond.