A fugitive and ex- chief of staff to Maryland’s Governor is shot and killed by FBI agents in West Knoxville.
FBI officials confirm that an agent was involved in a shooting in the Gold’s Gym parking lot in Farragut last night after authorities attempted to take Roy McGrath into custody.
After the incident, he was taken to the hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.
McGrath was a fugitive from Baltimore and was found here in Tennessee by law enforcement. He was indicted in October 2021, and faced a maximum of 100 years in federal prison for charges that he illegally recorded former Governor Hogan and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state government.
Tennessee officials have proposed new actions and legislation aimed to increase school safety in public and private schools, Governor Bill Lee announced on Monday.
Lee announced that the legislation would include funding to place an armed security guard at every Tennessee public school and provide more mental health resources for Tennesseans.
“There is nothing more important than our students safely returning home each day,” said Lee.
The amended legislation would enact an accountability plan to make sure all exterior school doors are locked. The amended HB322/SB274 would also require private security guards to receive active shooter training before being posted to a school, every school district to establish threat assessment teams and every public and private school to develop annual safety plans that would include an incident command drill.
Lee and other legislature also proposed several budget amendments as listed below.
$30 million to expand a statewide homeland security network with 122 agents serving students at both public and private schools
$140 million to establish a School Resource Officer (SRO) grant fund to place a trained, armed security guard at every public school
$20 million for public school security upgrades
$7 million for private school security upgrades
$8 million for additional school-based behavioral health liaisons across the state
House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons released a statement after Lee’s announcement.
It’s been a whole week since The Covenant School shooting, and Bill Lee has yet to utter the word “gun.” This fact evidences a political cowardice that plagues our Capitol and threatens every community.
The need to put an armed security guard in every school is a result of the real problem. It is NOT a solution to the problem.
I am appalled that Governor Lee would rather militarize our schools and make our children feel imprisoned in their own learning environment than reach across the aisle to pass common sense gun safety legislation.
We, as Democrats, remain committed to pushing legislation such as “red flag laws” and to encourage responsible gun ownership, and we hope our Republican legislative colleagues will work with us on these efforts. Hopefully, they will demonstrate the courage that is so sorely lacking in the governor’s office.House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons
A man is arrested for driving under the influence with three children in the car.
34 year-old Joseph Johnson was pulled over last week and officers questioned the registration becaseu the truck Johnson was driving didn’t belong to him.
Police found an 11-year-old, a 6-year-old child and a 5-year-old in the truck along with an open case of beer.
Johnson reportedly admitted to drinking while driving. He was arrested and charged with DUI, reckless endangerment with a vehicle and registration law.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency says the body of a missing kayaker has been found.
In the sixth boating fatality this year, 31 year-old Benjamin Thomen’s body was found yesterday.
He was reported missing Saturday while camping with three others on one of the islands at Dale Hollow Resevior. He was last seen when he left to paddle to the Willow Grove Marina for supplies. His kayak was found yesterday and his body was found in 13 feet of water near Big Goat Island. He was not wearing a life jacket. The incident remains under investigation.
Officials with the Knoxville Fire Department are investigating an overnight fire in West Knoxville.
Crews called to a house on fire at the corner of Sanderson Road and Whedbee Road and found a detached garage at the rear of the home engulfed in flames. The garage is a complete loss. There were no injuries reported.
KFD says it’s unclear if the home is occupied or vacant.
Thousands of protesters flood Tennessee’s Capital as lawmakers gathered for their scheduled floor sessions following Monday’s deadly school shooting in Nashville that left seven people dead, including the suspected shooter.
Things became more chaotic after some democratic representatives including Gloria Johnson of Knoxville took over the podium with a megaphone during a recess.
Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton and Representative Jason Zachary say some action will be taken against those representatives in the coming days.
Representative Gloria Johnson of Knoxville tells us she knew she was breaking a rule when she approached the microphone but she was only trying to speak for the people so their voices would be heard and how she did it once the microphone was turned off. Johnson says they never meant to disrupt the meeting and it wasn’t planned. She says she doesn’t know where the megaphone used came from but their microphone had been turned off so they used that to speak for the people. Johnson says she doesn’t regret breaking the rules so the people’s voices would be heard.
The investigation continues after an active shooter suspect at a body shop is taken into custody in Roane County.
Roane County Sheriff Jack Stockton, says four people, including the alleged shooter, were shot at Midtown Auto Body on Roane State Highway.
Two women, one man were reportedly shot by the suspect, identified as Brian Wilson, who was shot by a law enforcement officer and arrested. One of those women died in the shooting.
Police say Wilson walked into the shop and shot one of the female victims and began looking for the other. They believe there was an altercation between Wilson and the male victim before the male victim was shot.
Wilson had been in custody yesterday morning prior to this shooting as a suspect in a house fire but he bailed out of jail.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the officer-involved shooting.
The Knoxville Police Department is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash involving a motorcycle on Western Avenue.
It happened Wednesday night near University Avenue. Police believe the motorcycle was driving west on Western Avenue when it was rear-ended by a vehicle, believed to be a silver or a light-colored sedan, that drove away from the scene.
The motorcyclists was taken to the hospital where he has died from his injuries.
Anyone with information is asked to call East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
Updated story: An investigation is underway after Hardin Valley Academy dismisses students early after a gas valve in a science lab was left running overnight.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office investigated a tip and found that a contract custodian intentionally left the gas valve running.
Officials with Knox County Schools say the employee was arrested and immediately fired by his employer.
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler says after this week’s events in Nashville, they and KCS take any threat seriously. (rj)
Original story: Hardin Valley Academy has dismissed students early after a gas valve in a science lab was left running overnight, causing disruptions to learning.
Knox County Schools says the air was tested and no trace of gas was detected.
A military investigation is underway and nine soldiers are dead after two Blackhawks from Fort Campbell crashed on Wednesday night in Trigg County, according to Fort Campbell officials.
Fort Campbell officials confirmed two 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) helicopters were involved in a crash and confirmed all nine crew members died as a result. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families.
The crash happened just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday near Maple Grove Road and Lancaster Road. The crewmembers were flying two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission when the incident occurred.
During a press conference, Fort Campbell officials said there were five soldiers on one Blackhawk and four in the other. The investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called this “a tragic day for Kentucky” during the press conference at Fort Campbell, adding that resources will be available for the families.
After news broke on Wednesday night, Governor Beshear sent a message via Twitter asking for prayers.
“We’ve got some tough news out Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected,” Beshear said.
Kentucky State Police (KSP) is at the scene assisting the military investigation, along with several other agencies.
KSP said the two Blackhawks crashed in a field area and no residential damage is being reported. A perimeter was established around the debris field and the few residents in the area were asked to evacuate.
Nick Tomaszewski lives in south Cadiz and often observes helicopters from Fort Campbell pass overhead, but he said the two that flew by on Wednesday night seem out of the ordinary.
“So it’s nothing out of the norm to see helicopters, we see them all the time, but tonight there were two that were coming kind of straight up over our house, headed straight northbound, Tomaszewski said. “I told my wife, ‘wow, those look really close tonight’ for whatever reason…about a minute later, they were coming across and there was a large explosion in the sky almost look like a firework went off. And then the entire tree line lit up.”
Law enforcement, military vehicles, and ambulances filed in and out of the perimeter Thursday morning. An American flag could be seen through the side window of one emergency vehicle draped over where a gurney would be placed inside.
Fort Campbell officials held a press conference at the base to provide an update on the deadly crash. Governor Beshear was on-hand and offered words of encouragement to the deceased soldiers’ families. Brigadier General John Lucas says the two helicopters went down in an open field across from a residential area, avoiding additional casualties. An aircraft safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama is traveling to Kentucky to investigate the crash and determine what exactly happened.
