KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The city of Knoxville has agreed to end a gun ban at the site of the Tennessee Valley Fair when ticketed events aren’t going on.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports (https://bit.ly/2kEIH6u ) that the gun policy change was made in repose to a lawsuit filed by a Loudon County woman in 2015, who said she was afraid to attend the fair unarmed, despite having a state-issued handgun carry permit.
“If somebody wants to avail themselves of the facility on an average day - when no events are scheduled - it’s fine for them to have a handgun,” said city Law Director Charles Swanson. “Otherwise, no guns will be allowed.”
The Legislature earlier that year passed a law to prohibit cities and counties from banning guns at parks, playgrounds and ballfields.
The lawsuit was filed after the city officials contended that Chilhowee Park is not a “park” as defined by the law but rather a “public assembly, entertainment and education venue used for civic events and by contractors for special events.”
Under the settlement in the case, the city maintains that Chilhowee isn’t a park but acknowledges that the city “has historically allowed the public to access and use the outdoor facilities … when those facilities are not leased or otherwise in use for an event.”
Swanson said that means permit holders who want to visit the site at those times may be armed.
“We’ve got picnic tables out there, and it’s usually not closed off,” Swanson said.
The gun ban will remain for any buildings on the property, and during events, including concerts or the fair when all patrons will be checked for weapons.
The settlement in the case doesn’t affect a different pending lawsuit filed by another permit holder who was threatened with arrest if she brought her gun to the fair last year.
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Information from: Knoxville News Sentinel, https://www.knoxnews.com
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