Name: 'I felt threatened': Board of health members slam Glenn Jacobs for ominous video
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'I felt threatened': Board of health members slam Glenn Jacobs for ominous video

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Knoxville News Sentinel In an unusual public rebuke Wednesday night, several members of the Knox County Board of Health chastised County Mayor Glenn Jacobs for narrating a dystopian video posted last week that targeted public health officials.What started out as a typical board meeting turned into a tongue-lashing after board member Dr. Maria Hurt played the video&nbsp;— which was quickly taken down last week after it was posted&nbsp;— and called out Jacobs for creating a threatening environment for the board.Hurt said her grown children begged her after the video was posted to make sure she was safe.“My neighbors, both Republicans and Democrats, patrol my neighborhood to make sure people aren’t harassing us,” she said.Jacobs said he was sorry board members felt threatened by the tone of the ominous video, but did not apologize for its content.The video begins with the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and then turns dark. “Today this foundation is under attack. Not from some ominent enemy abroad, but from sinister forces within,” Jacobs narrates as the video pans fiery protest scenes.When the video shows the faces of the Knox County Board of Health, Jacobs says: “Unelected bureaucrats who cast down edicts which carry the force of law with no accountability and no recourse.”Several board members said the video made them feel unsafe.Board member Dr. Patrick O’Brien said the video was disturbing and disheartening.“As a military officer who has sworn to defend this country I felt threatened by what I saw,” he said. “This division has got to stop. We’re in this together. We’ll do what we can based on science ... if others want to go some other way or want to do it shooting from the hip, so be it. You will reap what you sow.”Dr. Martha Buchanan, who reports to Jacobs as director of the Knox County Health Department,&nbsp;said county public health employees who are&nbsp;fighting the pandemic&nbsp;faced ramped-up threats after the video was released on social media.&nbsp;Jacobs said he did not intend to threaten anyone, but to get people to talk and to show up at meetings. The video was not meant to be published publicly, he said."I'm a politician and sometimes you have to make a political statement. That was an attempt at a political statement,” he said.Unrest and protests from the virus “can happen here” and “will happen here,” he narrates as pictures of destroyed storefronts in other cities pass&nbsp;on the screen. During the conversation about the video at Wednesday's board of health meeting,&nbsp;Jacobs said there needs to be a movement for respect and compassion.More:The board of health members' criticism comes ahead of Monday’s county commission meeting at which commissioners will vote on a .More:Jacobs helped craft the resolution that would require Knox County to instead follow the state's Tennessee Pledge, a far less restrictive set of recommendations that do not require masks or&nbsp;restrict business hours, including for restaurants and bars.There remain plenty of questions about whether the commission has the legal authority to strip the powers granted by the governor.&nbsp;Jacobs has been a the board of health has proposed. He originally pushed for the&nbsp;county to accelerate economic reopening, consistently voted against board of health regulations, including the mask mandate, and&nbsp;pushed unsuccessfully&nbsp;for the board to hold meetings in person to encourage public comment.Email Tyler Whetstone&nbsp;at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com&nbsp;and follow him on Twitter @tyler_whetstone. If you enjoy Tyler's coverage, .

Knoxville News Sentinel In an unusual public rebuke Wednesday night, several members of the Knox County Board of Health chastised County Mayor Glenn Jacobs for narrating a dystopian video posted last week that targeted public health officials.What started out as a typical board meeting turned into a tongue-lashing after board member Dr. Maria Hurt played the video&nbsp;— which was quickly taken down last week after it was posted&nbsp;— and called out Jacobs for creating a threatening environment for the board.Hurt said her grown children begged her after the video was posted to make sure...

'I felt threatened': Board of health members slam Glenn Jacobs for ominous video

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