Knox County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home of United States Representative Tim Burchett over the weekend.

Officials with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office told WVLT News that they did not have a report on hand but do know Sheriff Tom Spangler sent patrol deputies to the house of Burchett (TN-02) after elected officials received an anonymous email saying a man had killed his wife’s lover after catching the two cheating, tied her up, and left her at Burchett’s home.

Sheriff officials said after a search of the property, nothing was out of order, and believed it to be an attempted swatting.

Burchett told WVLT News Monday that he and his family were not home at the time.

Burchett added that it was rare for them to be out around 5 p.m. on a Saturday, but they elected to go for an early dinner.

”It’s very dangerous, it’s a felony. If somebody ends up getting hurt, it’s going to be on them for the rest of their lives, and I’m not messing around. Take that for whatever you want to take it, but I hold my family very close to me,” said Burchett.

The Congressman said the E-911 director called him to confirm his address which tipped him off to the attempted swatting.

”They’re very serious. This is a time when being an elected official is harder than ever, yet we work for the people, and I think this is a cowardly act and one that is disgusting quite frankly,” said Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay.

Jay was one of about 35 people to receive the email.

The FBI has developed a new database for swatting incidents after a recent increase in the act.

Swatting is a form of harassment to deceive an emergency service provider into sending a police and emergency service response team to another person’s address due to the false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency. The individuals who engage in this activity use technology, such as caller ID spoofing, social engineering, TTY, and prank calls to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from the victim’s phone. Traditionally, law enforcement has seen swatters directing their actions toward individuals and residences. Increasingly, the FBI sees swatters targeting public places such as airports, schools, and businesses. Another recent trend is so-called celebrity swatting, where the targeted victims are well-known personalities, according to the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. Story courtesy of WVLT

Important Dates, Deadlines, and Frequently Asked Questions from the Knox County Election Commission

REGISTERING TO VOTE

The deadline to register to vote for the upcoming March 5, 2024 Presidential Preference Primary & Knox County Primary election is Monday, February 5, 2024. Voters can register:

• online at: https://ovr.govote.tn.gov/, or
• in person at either Election Commission office (weekdays between 8 am and 4:30 pm), or
• download a voter registration form https://knoxcounty.org/election/pdfs/VRF.pdf and mail it to the Knox County Election Commission. Voters utilizing this method must have it postmarked by February 5, 2024.

As of Sunday, January 28, 2024, Knox County has 299,269 registered voters.                             

PUBLIC MACHINE TEST

In preparation for the 2024 Presidential Preference & Knox County Primary, the Election Commission will conduct a required voting machine test on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 8:30 am at its Downtown West training and early voting location. The test is two to three hours in duration. Candidates, press, and the public are invited to attend.

CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES

Candidates for local offices have campaign financial disclosures (CFD) due on the following dates:

• Year-end CFD Wednesday, January 31, 2024 (covering the period July 1, 2023 to January 15, 2024)
• Pre-Primary CFD  Tuesday, February 27, 2024 (covering the period January 16 to February 24, 2024)

These reports will be posted upon receipt by the Election Commission at: https://knoxcountytn.easyvotecampaignfinance.com/home/publicfilings  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & CONCERNS REGARDING THE UPCOMING ELECTION

Q:         I want to change my party registration from one party to another or from a party to Independent. How do I do that?

A:         Voters in Tennessee DO NOT register by political party. Some states do register by party; Tennessee does not.

Q:         I need to request a voter registration card – I was told I can’t vote, or I thought I can’t vote without it.

A:         Actually, while we are happy to issue you a new voter registration card, you DO NOT NEED IT TO VOTE. A registered voter only needs a photo identification issued by the State of Tennessee (such as a driver’s license) or the federal government (such as a passport). The acceptable photo ID can be expired.

Q:         I think I am already registered in Knox County – how can I find out for sure?

A:         Visit www.knoxvotes.org and click on the Am I registered to vote? box on the home page.

Q:         If I am registered to vote in my current county, do I need to register before every election?

A:         No, registration is permanent in Tennessee, unless your voter registration is purged pursuant to Tennessee law. Examples of why an individual might be purged include:

• Death of the voter
• A felony conviction of the voter
• A voter moves out of Knox County and registers in another county/state.

Q:         If I am registered in another county in Tennessee, do I need to register in Knox County?

A:         Yes. Registration in Tennessee is based on the county of residency.

Q:         What do I do at the polling place when I go to vote?

A:         When a voter enters the polling place, they will have to provide their photo ID to the registrar and confirm that they are a registered voter based on the information the Election Commission has on file. The voter will verify their name and address and will affirm that they are a registered and qualified voter in the precinct based on their residential address.

To obtain the ballot, our registrar will ask the voter “In which primary do you wish to vote?” The voter will respond and, after signing the application for ballot, will be forwarded to the ballot table where the correct paper ballot will be issued to the voter in exchange for the application for ballot.

The voter will proceed to a private booth/table to complete the ballot with a black or blue ink pen, and then will proceed to the ballot scanner to scan the ballot. After the voter scans the ballot, they are done.

Q:         I don’t want to vote in a primary. I feel as though I am being disenfranchised.

A:         The Election Commission, per the Knox County Charter and Tennessee law, conducts the primary elections for the political parties. As a voter, if you wish to not vote in a primary, you will have an opportunity to vote in the Knox County General Election on Thursday, August 1, 2024 and/or the State & Federal General Election (Presidential) on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Q:         I don’t want people to know how I vote; that is none of their business.

A:         The Election Commission does not know how anyone cast a ballot or who someone voted for; however, a voter’s voting history, including the elections in which a person has voted and the primary if a voter selects a primary, are all public record.

For more information on elections, visit the Election Commission at www.knoxvotes.org or call 865-215-2480.

TBI News January 29,2024 At the request of 8^th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI special agents continue to investigate the circumstances that led to an officer-involved shooting Sunday night involving officers with the Jamestown Police Department.

Preliminary information indicates that just after 8:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Rugby Avenue in Jamestown following a 911 call reporting a man with a gun.  When officers arrived, they encountered an armed individual. For reasons still under investigation, an officer fired, striking the person.  The individual was transported to an area hospital for treatment.  No officers were injured during the incident.

At this time, this investigation remains active and ongoing.  TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews.  Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his further review and consideration.  The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters.  That decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.

The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as it sees fit.