Mayor Indya Kincannon said the city and KPD will withdraw from its agreement with the school system starting June 12, but officers will still respond to emergencies.
Austin-East students speak on how their school has changed since the death of Anthony Thompson Jr.
For students like Jones, Austin-East has changed. Now they walk through metal detectors and are searched as they walk in. Author: Jacinta Render (WBIR) Updated: 6:49 PM EDT April 29, 2021
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Christopher Jones is a junior at Austin-East High School. Ever since the death of Anthony Thompson Jr., he s been coming to Safe Haven’s empowerment house.
“I started coming because I heard it was a good program,” said Jones.
And safety is his main concern.
“Because it helps me feel safer around the people.”
Expert says East Knoxville community facing not just trauma, but Black trauma You aren’t safe at home, you aren’t safe down the block and you aren’t safe leaving school, said Roxy Slay. It s a reality for many people in the community. Author: Malik Jackson Updated: 10:23 PM EDT April 22, 2021
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. With the East Knoxville community still reeling after a shooting in Austin East High School, experts are sounding the alarm on just how hard much these tragedies can impact people who face them day-in and day-out. For them, violence so close to home can simply be a part of reality.
More than 200 people gathered in downtown Knoxville Thursday night, united in frustration. Author: Amelia Young (WBIR), WBIR Staff Published: 11:51 PM EDT April 22, 2021 Updated: 11:51 PM EDT April 22, 2021
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Demonstrators gathered in downtown Knoxville Wednesday and Thursday evenings after Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen announced no charges would be filed in the shooting of 17-year-old Anthony Thompson Jr. in Austin East High School.
The group chanted slogans such as no justice, no peace and fight back Thursday night. They marched through the city around Main Street, Locust Street and eventually making their way to the University of Tennessee campus.
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“We’re all looking for justice in this situation,” Regina Perkins, the white mother of Thompson’s 17-year-old girlfriend Alexus Page, told Knox News. “I never meant for anything to happen to him.” Advertisement Hide
Perkins received a call from her daughter Monday morning at school asking if she could go home early. When she arrived home, Perkins said her daughter was missing hair and had marks on her face. For months, Thompson and Page’s relationship reportedly involved incidents of physical fights and suspensions from school.
“At the time, I felt like both of the kids needed a break,” Perkins said. “They needed some counseling. They were both dealing with issues mentally that they could have used some help in those areas.”