Police in Rutherford County arrested a man Sunday afternoon when they feared he was about to perpetrate a copycat attack similar to the Christmas day bombing in downtown Nashville.
“Sheriff’s deputies in Rutherford and Wilson Counties are investigating a box truck parked at a store playing audio similar to the Christmas explosion in Nashville. The driver was stopped by deputies and detained. Residents evacuated. Investigation active,” the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) said on Twitter.
Sheriff’s deputies in Rutherford and Wilson Counties are investigating a box truck parked at a store playing audio similar to the Christmas explosion in Nashville.
The driver was stopped by deputies and detained.
Residents evacuated. Investigation active.
— RCTNSheriff (@RCTNSheriff) December 27, 2020
The suspect, identified as James Turgeon, 33, was charged with two counts of felony filing a false report and one count of tampering with evidence, according to WZTV.
RCSO dispatchers received a call Sunday morning about a suspicious truck playing a similar audio to the one played by Anthony Quinn Warner in the Christmas day bombing in Nashville.
“During the course of the investigation, it was revealed Turgeon made a similar announcement at Kings Chapel Independent Missionary Baptist Church at Jefferson Pike and Dunaway Chapel Road while church was in service,” according to RCSO Detective Sgt. Steve Craig.
Turgeon drove on Highway 231 to nearby Wilson County where he was detained.
WSMV captured a tense, hours-long investigation into the truck and its contents, which were conducted by a robot.
WATCH LIVE: THP, FBI and Wilson County deputies are investigating a white box truck on Murfreesboro Rd in Lebanon. https://t.co/KwHuVQvQFa https://t.co/bWLUPUq11V
— WSMV News4 Nashville (@WSMV) December 27, 2020
Eventually, police confirmed that the truck did not contain any explosives.
Turgeon’s motive remains unclear.
Authorities in Tennessee remain on high alert just days after Warner, a reclusive 63-year-old from Antioch, parked his recreational vehicle on Second Avenue in Nashville where it exploded on Christmas morning. Warner died in the blast, according to police. Three people were injured.
Just before the explosion, a warning reportedly played on a loudspeaker, telling nearby residents and pedestrians to evacuate the area. With the help of six Nashville police officers who are being hailed as heroes, residents were able to leave the area before the explosion.
Authorities are now working to establish Warner’s motive.
The #FBI and #ATF are seeking info concerning the owner of the RV, Anthony Quinn Warner, linked to the explosion in downtown Nashville on Friday morning. Recognize him? Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at https://t.co/hG6KFmQ7dG. @FBI @ATFHQ @ATFNashville pic.twitter.com/o8fqiHkATl
— FBI Memphis (@FBIMemphis) December 28, 2020
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Stopped Box Truck” by Jimmy Corn.
