KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knox County grand jury will weigh whether to indict protesters who authorities say disrupted Knoxville and Knox County government meetings earlier this year in the aftermath of a police shooting involving an Austin-East High School student.
Knox County General Sessions Court Judge Patricia Long heard brief testimony Thursday morning in preliminary hearings for Constance Every, Calvin Skinner, Mary Winter, Carrie Hopper, Gavin Guinn, Kevin Andrews and Aaron Valentine. Authorities charged them last spring.
Every and Skinner are charged with disrupting a Knoxville City Council meeting May 4.
All seven are charged with disrupting an April 19 Knox County Commission meeting. The offense is a misdemeanor.
The defendants acted following the April 12 killing by police of student Anthony Thompson Jr. at Austin-East in a bathroom. Thompson had a pistol and a clip when Knoxville police officers confronted him. During the confrontation, a shot from his gun went off, a Knoxville Police Department officer was shot by a fellow officer and police shot and killed Thompson.
Prosecutors called Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon to testify about the council meeting. She said Skinner and Every disrupted the meeting, prompting her to call a recess. Police arrested the pair.
A Knox County deputy testified on behalf of the state about the April 19 commission meeting. According to court records, Every led about 30 people into the City County Building Main Assembly Room auditorium and shortly after used an electronic bullhorn to sound a siren, interrupting the meeting.
