PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Nearly 5,000 individuals have signed a petition that seeks to end Rod Runs in Sevier County.
The petition comes after a shooting incident in Pigeon Forge Friday.
The Pigeon Forge Police Department said groups of individuals were hanging out in the convenience store parking lot after the annual Spring Rod Run event when they became agitated with one another and a fight broke out. In the middle of the fight, shots were fired.
Officials said the department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a suspect after several videos have surfaced on the internet showing the incident.
The annual Spring Rod Run iThe petition stated the event used to be fun for families but now causes stress about, “violent crimes, perversion or harassment.”
n Pigeon Forge took place over the weekend and kept area law enforcement busy. The Pigeon Forge Police Department reported a 20% increase in incidents from the 2022 edition.
The annual car show which took place from April 13-15 drew large crowds to Sevier County with hundreds of show cars, car corrals, and a large cash giveaway.
Overall, there were 1,097 calls for service, 315 citations, 47 arrests, 21 incident reports and 22 accidents.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol, Sevier County and Blount County Sheriff’s Office assisted PFPD with enforcement during the event. There was a large police presence for the event and the chief of police said at one point Friday evening they had almost 50 officers working.
This past weekend was a typical rod run for us. We had a lot of unruly behavior here that pretty much came from one group,” said Pigeon Forge Chief of Police Richard Catlett.
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