The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:24 AM
Knox County Deputy Resigns After Female Employee At Gatlinburg Bar Hurt During Incident Where Officer Was Belligerent
James Schirnglone resigned in lieu of an investigation that the Knox County Sheriff's Office started Tuesday.
A Gatlinburg Police report says Schirnglone was "aggressive" and "belligerent" at the Salty Bear Raw Bear on August 21.
Officers with the Gatlinburg Police Department were sent to the Salty Bear Raw Bar at 7:50 p.m. Monday on reports of a man wearing a white shirt and black shorts causing a disturbance and wanted him removed from the property.
Employees of the bar told police Schirnglone failed to cooperate when he was asked for a form of identification. Another employee said he ripped up a table that had been screwed into the floor and said, "If you want to roll, we can roll. Let's go outside," before hitting a female employee with the table, causing the top of her right hand to bruise, according to the report.
The police report also says he was asked to pay his tab and leave. After a male employee threatened to call the police, Schirnglone allegedly said, "Good - I am the [expletive] police. I will sue the [expletive] out of you."
Schirnglone reportedly left the bar then returned to get a receipt. Officers later questioned him near the bridge on Longbranch Road. After he was released from detainment, a Gatlinburg Police report says he yelled "[Expletive] those guys" at the three responding Gatlinburg officers and threatened lawsuits.
