KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — A Heiskell man faces federal charges alleging he used social media to try to incite violence at West Town Mall last month and state charges alleging he helped create a disturbance in downtown Knoxville.
Federal authorities have charged Dominic D. Brown, 18, with inciting a riot and civil disorder. He made an initial appearance Monday in U.S. District Court.
Brown also faces assault, disorderly conduct and evading arrest charges in Knox County General Sessions Court.
In the federal case, Brown is alleged on May 30 to have posted profane Snapchat messages calling for a raid on the popular Kingston Pike mall.
In two posts to the account, according to the government, he included images depicting maps of the interior of West Town Mall, and he also noted, “If we get 300 people we can raid the mall and everything in there....”
Another post said, “be there by 10:30, lace your shoes, wear masks and gloves. Bring hammers bricks whatever you want.” In another post, Brown stated, “clique up before all y’all get active so we all show up at once [expletive] the waiting a hour on slow pokes clear your agenda if you comin. 10:30.”
No such attack occurred at the mall.
Early May 31, however, Brown did go downtown, state and federal authorities allege. Knoxville police say they saw him about 1:20 a.m. on Gay Street.
Police allege Brown told a group to "stay together when the riot begins," a Knox County assault warrant states. Brown and the crowd ignored orders to leave.
"Officers observed (Brown) return to Market Square and begin to vandalize the flower pots in front of various storefronts," the warrant states. "Once again the crowd was dispersed and told to depart the area."
Police allege they followed Brown to Gay and Union Avenue.
"Officers observed the defendant pick up a trash can lid filled with an unknown liquid and struck (sic) an officer who was sitting in a vehicle," records state.
Brown tried to run but was caught.
He also had a Knox County General Sessions Court appearance Monday on the state charges.
Several people were arrested early that morning for taking part in the disturbance, including a man who'd heard about a possible riot and went down to Market Square, court records state. Authorities say they found numerous guns in 20-year-old Dakota Gifford's vehicle.
The unrest happened days after the May 25 killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
Authorities said while a peaceful protest about Floyd's death had previously been staged in Knoxville, the violence that occurred May 31 was started mainly by opportunists looking to create a disturbance.
“The United States Attorney’s Office supports the right of American citizens to gather in peaceful protest,” U.S. Attorney Doug Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee said in a statement. “However, we will uphold the rule of law in this community and will take swift action against those who seek to hijack the circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd to engage in violent criminal activity.”
Brown also faces drug and weapons charges for an incident that happened in January in Knoxville, and a domestic assault charge for an incident in April in which he allegedly attacked a young woman who is the mother of his child.