A reader tips us to this news item from
two weeks ago:
The City County Building was evacuated Wednesday afternoon following a bomb threat apparently aimed at Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero’s support for the upcoming Pridefest parade downtown, police said. Staffers throughout the downtown government office building were told to leave early for the day about 4 p.m. in response to an email threat sent to the mayor’s office, Knoxville Police Department Capt. Nate Allen said. The threat stated that, “Someone disagreed with the city’s stance on the LGBT parade,” Allen said. “And with that disagreement the person threatened to blow the City County Building up.” KPD and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office personnel and bomb-sniffing dogs searched the offices floor by floor before reopening the building shortly after 5 p.m.
According to my source, who wishes to be identified as a "rainbow cop," the email claimed that a bomb would be detonated "in two hours" unless the mayor issued a Twitter statement that "fags and other criminals of God and nature are not welcome in this city." Knoxville's pride parade takes place on June 21st.
Labels: gay Pride, Knoxville, religion, Tennessee
