Tue
Nov 8 2011
08:00 pm
BREAKING NEWS: Bomb threat at the Foundry
By: R. Neal


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We have just arrived at the Foundry and the area is cordoned off by police. Apparently there was a bomb threat and a suspicious package has been found. This is not a joke. Live blogging from the parking lot.

Developing...

UPDATE: Confirmed by Darrell Debusk, KPD information officer, that a suspicious device was found on the bumper of a WBIR news van. It is believed to be a hoax device, but it was designed to look like a real bomb. Police believe the threat is neutralized, but there is heightened security at the venue.

UPDATE: The device was first discovered around 5:30 as news crews were setting up. It was jammed into the bumper of the WBIR news van. I saw a photo, and it looked real and scary. Streets and bridges in the area are closed off with KPD cruisers. A source estimated that the incident will cost the city $50 to $100 thousand.

Topics:
SnM's picture

WATE: "The device was found

Submitted by SnM on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 8:20pm.

WATE: "The device was found on a local TV station news truck parked at the site of the Rogero party."

Andy Axel's picture

Coincidence!

Submitted by Andy Axel on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 8:33pm.

Coincidence! Misunderstanding!

Russ's picture

Some idiots on Twitter are

Submitted by Russ on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 8:33pm.

Some idiots on Twitter are suggesting this might be Rogero supporters. I cannot imagine the mental gymnastics necessary to jump to that conclusion.

sugarfatpie's picture

Guess I'll be riding my bike!

Submitted by sugarfatpie on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 8:51pm.

Guess I'll be riding my bike!

Factchecker's picture

Cain's Law

Submitted by Factchecker on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 8:55pm.

Women just want money and fame. (Sorry to miss this otherwise festive event, enjoying the returns from home this time.) (And no, tea baggers, that doesn't mean I did it.)

Brian A.'s picture

http://www.wbir.com/rss/artic

Submitted by Brian A. on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 9:02pm.

(link...)

Someone is an idiot.

redmondkr's picture

I just hope this hoax is not

Submitted by redmondkr on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 9:03pm.

I just hope this hoax is not a diversion to keep KPD busy while the perp does some real mischief.

Be careful out there.

Pam Strickland's picture

I was about to second-guess

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Tue, 2011/11/08 - 9:11pm.

I was about to second-guess decision to stay home, but now I think I'm glad I decided to ne a hermit. My insomnia can only take so much excitement.

Rachel's picture

I looked for you. You sure

Submitted by Rachel on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 1:00am.

I looked for you. You sure missed a happy bunch of people.

reform4's picture

I hope they find the person.

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 3:01am.

... and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.

reform4's picture

I'm not sure how they could discern that.

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 11:03am.

I'm not sure how by looking at something you could tell when it was attached (unless it was taped, half the tape was off, and exposed tape was dirty from road dust?). Still, Knoxville isn't known for randomly having news vans having bombs taped to them. It might even imply whoever did it knew which van was going to which event, narrowing the list of candidates.

DeBusk isn't making much sense, perhaps he feels that misinformation is better than people getting riled up after all this disgusting crap. Regardless, I can't see how this isn't politically motivated, and I hope they catch the culprit.

rikki's picture

The device was a battery that

Submitted by rikki on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 12:10pm.

The device was a battery that attaches to a light that can be inserted into a balloon to make it glow. WBIR employees said they had seen it on the van some indefinite time prior to yesterday. There's a good chance it had been there since Halloween.

Go to a party store and ask for light-up balloons. You can own your very own simulated bomb!

R. Neal's picture

I saw a photo and

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 12:16pm.

I saw a photo and it was scary looking.

rikki's picture

inside job?

Submitted by rikki on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 1:29pm.

An eyewitness described it (on Twitter) as a red tube with a white cap and protruding wires. WBIR reported that their employees had seen it on the van prior to the event -- like when the van was at the studio. No doubt KPD would prefer not to release details that make it apparent that they overreacted to a device that's actually a common party favor:

R. Neal's picture

OK, then.

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 2:04pm.

OK, then.

Somebody's picture

Please accept my apologies if

Submitted by Somebody on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 3:17pm.

Please accept my apologies if I am skeptical of the conclusions you've drawn, based on second-hand (via Twitter, even!) info.

Whatever it was, it was odd enough in appearance that it caused a call to the police in the first place, and for the police not to dismiss it as a small piece of a party favor as soon as they saw it. Even R. Neal says what he saw looked concerning.

For a guy who rides people down the rails when they use dubious and even patently stupid sources of information to claim that scientists are making up the whole climate change thing, you sure are willing to throw caution to the winds when something suits your own preconceived notions, like the police all being fascist morons.

rikki's picture

I have no problem with the

Submitted by rikki on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 5:30pm.

I have no problem with the police. It's anonymous cowards who tell me what I think that I consider to be fascist morons.

I shared the information that lead me to conclude this was a big misunderstanding and not an intentional threat, and I'll happily reconsider if new information surfaces. Maybe you can share why you are comfortable associating me with "police all being fascist morons" while you sit in smug anonymity, unconcerned about a reputation or revelations of conflicts of interest.

Somebody's picture

I did open by asking for

Submitted by Somebody on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 5:38pm.

I did open by asking for forgiveness.

You said:

No doubt KPD would prefer not to release details that make it apparent that they overreacted to a device that's actually a common party favor

Perhaps I overshot it a bit when I suggested you think they're fascists, but clearly you're comfortable suggesting that they're morons.

...based on a "tweet."

rikki's picture

The quoted passage implies

Submitted by rikki on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 6:40pm.

The quoted passage implies neither 'fascist' nor 'morons.' Really, it's not the police who overreacted. They have to take such reports seriously, and it's only human to be sheepish when there has been a big scene over not much at all.

To me, this looks like nothing but happenstance. If it's going to be used to denigrate Padgett or whoever people feel like pissing on at the moment, there ought to be some evidence that this was actually an intentional act. Do you have any such evidence?

reform4's picture

So why didn't they just come out and say that???

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 3:27pm.

Maybe I missed another press release, but why is it only the blogs and twitter that have the actual facts?

Nobody would mind if KPD said "it wasn't a bomb, but we acted with appropriate caution until the device was properly identified."

Somebody's picture

Perhaps you should consider

Submitted by Somebody on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 3:57pm.

Perhaps you should consider the possibility that Twitter and the blogs don't have the facts, and that the police don't make it a habit to release the minute details of an ongoing investigation, lest the potential perpetrators, if any, use that info to cover their tracks.

Twitter and the blogs are like listening to the idle comments of the guy next to you on the bus. You could be getting inside info, or you could be getting a load of delusional and/or misinformed crap.

reform4's picture

Occam's Razor

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 5:39pm.

Seems less than likely the blogs would be downplaying a real bomb threat (and someone actually took a photo of the item?).

R. Neal's picture

In the second photo of the

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 10:45am.

In the second photo of the set above you can seem me on the left in the distance live blogging from the back of our car. I was so furious I could barely type and the Mrs. had to finish the post.

Bbeanster's picture

Lord, Rikki, you've had a

Submitted by Bbeanster on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 5:36pm.

Lord, Rikki, you've had a cockleburr up your ass lately. What in the world are you bitching about?

cafkia's picture

I should think that the

Submitted by cafkia on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 7:06pm.

I should think that the indicated item so anatomically located would be sufficient motivation to bitch for anyone so afflicted.

rikki's picture

I do have a burr in my ass,

Submitted by rikki on Wed, 2011/11/09 - 11:22pm.

I do have a burr in my ass, and people putting words into other people's mouths instead of letting them speak for themselves has a lot to do with it.

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