'Please Just Call It In': Police Concerned About Potential Copycats

Nashville is still shaken and disturbed by the Christmas Day explosion on Second Avenue downtown. Even as the community continued its recovery, law enforcement in Wilson and Rutherford counties came across a copycat attempt. Though that case thankfully didn't involve explosives, police are concerned about more potential copycat cases in the future.

On Sunday, a man was arrested after reports of a suspicious vehicle on Highway 231. James Turgeon was charged with two counts of filing a false report and one county of tampering with evidence.

That case, said Sgt. PJ Hardy with the Lebanon Police Department, was an obvious attempt at copying the Nashville explosion.

"It was a vehicle that was actually transmitting through a speaker system that was very similar to the same type of notification that was given during the bombing on Christmas morning," said Sgt. Hardy.

Hardy said that though the situation was "very tense for all parties involved," officers did what they had to do to protect their community. Lebanon Police, which is one of the agencies assisting Metro Nashville with reports of copycats, encourages anyone who notices something suspicious or out of place to call the police.

"When your hair stands on the back of your neck or you get that intuition, follow your intuition," said Hardy. "Something doesn't seem right? Please just call it in and let us know."

Anonymous tips can be made to Lebanon Police at 615-444-2323.

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