Officials said there was an incident at Jimmy’s Market involving a large gathering of people from the Slammedenuff car show in Sevier County.
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — UPDATE 5:50 P.M.: Pigeon Forge Police have released additional information about the large disturbance near Jimmy’ Market, following the Slammedenuff car show on Saturday night.
In a release posted to social media, police said they were called to a number of locations about large and unruly crowds, including Jimmy’s Market.
Police said there have been rumors circulating on the internet that people had fired shots, or chemical agents had been deployed in the city, but those rumors aren’t true.
Police also said there were reports of a stabbing, but the injury sustained by a person did not occur at Jimmy’s Market. The person who said they were stabbed had a “minor” wound, and declined to be transported to a hospital by an ambulance.
Dozens of people showed up to the Jimmy’s Market in Pigeon Forge after the Slammedenuff car show, and multiple police agencies responded Saturday night, according to authorities.
The Pigeon Forge chief of police said there was a “large gathering” from the car show, and the business asked authorities to clear the parking lot.
“Because of the amount of calls we have received from the business this week, we already had officers in the area,” Richard Catlett said.
He added that the business decided to close.
Numerous claims are circulating online, including that authorities used tear gas to clear the area, as well as claims of shots fired. Catlett said that they did not deploy or use any tear gas, and no shots were fired, but some vehicles backfire, which can sound like a gun going off.
Authorities watched the crowd for about 15 minutes after they escorted people off of the business’ property before leaving, he said. He said he made that decision for the safety of the officers working at the time, and the crowd eventually left.
Catlett said that multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Sevierville Police Department, Gatlinburg Police Department, Sevier County Sheriff’s Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, alongside the Pigeon Forge Police Department.
Catlett added that authorities did make arrests.
Several people have posted videos online of the scene at the time. You can see some of those below.
On Sunday, the city of Sevierville cancelled the final day of the car show.
Officials with the city released a statement stating that the decision comes after safety concerns, disturbances to the community, and a strain on county resources.
You can read part of the statement below.
“While the event itself is privately organized, the impacts on our community, ranging from traffic disruptions and reckless behavior to late-night noise and public safety challenges, have reached a level that is no longer acceptable or sustainable. The City has an obligation to protect the safety, peace, and welfare of our residents, visitors, and businesses.
“Effective immediately, we are implementing a zero-tolerance policy for any nuisance activity, unsafe driving, or disorderly conduct associated with this event or similar gatherings. Violations will be met with full enforcement of all applicable laws and ordinances.”
In that press release, officials also urged anyone in Sevierville or the surrounding areas to leave in an “orderly and lawful manner”.
Slammedenuff confirmed the cancellation on Facebook, and said that spectator tickets and upperclassmen showcase tickets for the cancelled day would be refunded.
Slammedenuff workers responded to the incident later on Sunday afternoon, stating that they do not condone the incident in any way. They posted on Instagram stating that they are working with the city to avoid these incidents from happening in the future.
You can read part of their statement below.
“The owners and staff of Slammedenuff do not in any way condone the actions that happened on the streets in the areas surrounding pigeon forge last night. We have always promoted a safe, fun, and friendly environment both in and outside of our shows. We urge the utmost respect to any city we host a show in, and hope our spectators and show participants will always do the same. There is no confirmation or evidence that the worst of the actions were perpetrated by individuals in town for our specific event or that they were even going to the show.”
You can see the full social media post here.
This comes several days after authorities said there would not be any authorized pre-event or post-event meet-ups at any Sevierville locations.
According to the Pigeon Forge Police Department, the city has an established process for hosting events that includes applying for a permit and getting approval from the Special Events Committee after receiving approval from the Planning Commission.
They stated that they were not aware of any local businesses that had authorized their premises for meet-ups or gatherings.
“Alcohol consumption at these often leads to fights and other criminal activity. making public safety a serious concern for everyone present,” PFPD said in a social media post on Thursday, two days before the start of the event.
You can see that social media post above.
Slammedenuff is an annual car show. This year, the dates for the event were scheduled for Oct. 4 and 5. The event on the 5th was cancelled by Sevierville city officials that morning.
Slammedenuff stated that both spectator tickets and upperclassmen showcase tickets for the cancelled day would be refunded.
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