TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The City of Tempe says that Tempe Police arrested a Tucson woman accused of making an online threat that forced the evacuation of a City Council meeting last month.
Investigators say 54-year-old Kathleen Tierney was taken into custody Tuesday morning in Tucson, the city said.
Tierney is facing one felony charge of computer tampering and two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, a press release said.
Police say the case stems from a post allegedly made by Tierney on August 28th on social media.
That message, according to investigators, created an immediate safety concern during a Tempe City Council meeting.
Officers evacuated community members, staff, and councilmembers from the chambers and canceled the meeting. The next two meetings were rescheduled to be held online.
Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy said in the release that the arrest shows the department’s commitment to protecting both public safety and the democratic process.
“Threats like this not only endanger lives, they disrupt civic engagement and silence the voices of the people we serve. We will not allow intimidation to interfere with democracy in our city,” McCoy said in a statement.
Police say the investigation is still active and no further details are being released at this time.
