Knoxville red-light camera wounded in action

Only in Tennessee...

Excerpts from a news story posted on Knoxnews.com today:

A North Knoxville red light camera struck by three rounds from a high-powered rifle during the weekend is out of commission until Tuesday, police said today.

Knoxville Police Department officers first responded when they heard four shots fired at 2 a.m. Sunday while on routine patrol of the area. They searched the area, and one officer spotted a minivan leaving a closed business "very suspiciously."

When police pulled Clark's vehicle over, they found a .30-06-caliber deer rifle on the floor of the minivan. "He stated he didn't want to say what he was doing there because he didn't want to get into trouble," said Lt. Bob Wooldridge, a KPD spokesman. Upon further investigation, they discovered that the traffic camera had three bullet holes in its camera box."

The man is being applauded on the local news-talk radio station by call-ins as a hero and somebody is already starting to gather together money to help with the guy's legal defense. The cameras have nailed more than a few people.

One guy who called in complained about how he got a ticket for running a red light that he apparently has always just kind of cruised through when making right turns in the past. He said something to the effect of "I got a ticket because I didn't come to a complete stop before making the turn".... well DUH!, even when right turns on red are legal, you're still supposed to come to a complete stop before moving into the intersection.

The full story doesn't say anything about alcohol, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out it was involved.