The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Devices Unit responds to calls not only in Knox County but also 15 other counties, to assist in the safe handling of any type of explosive materials. This could be anything from purposefully built improvised explosive devices to old commercial explosives needing to be disposed of, to leaking hazardous materials from facilities, trucks or train cars.
The team also has several fully equipped EOD response trucks, robots, bomb disposal buckets, x-ray units, EOD bomb suits, EOD FBI Redstone certified technicians, EMTs and support members. The team as a whole, is under the Chief Deputy of Homeland Security and the explosives component under the Commander of the Bomb Squad as required by the FBI.
The team trains two times a month with one day focusing on explosives and the other focusing on hazardous materials. On the hazardous materials side, the team combines training, resources and responses with Rural/Metro to form the Knox Regional Special Hazards Team.
The team is fully accredited by the FBI.
To find out more information regarding our Hazardous Devices Unit, please contact us by completing the form.
**If this is an emergency or if you are in need of police response, please call 911**
Email: hazards@knoxsheriff.org
Tel: (865) 215-2243
On July 20, 1985 the burned body of Betty Joyce Brown,aka Simmons, was found in the woods at 3805 Maloney Road in South Knox County. The 29 year old Austin-East graduate had been stabbed before being burned. Ms. Brown was last seen on July 14, 1985 between midnight and 1:00am in front of the Bread Box at Magnolia Ave and Spruce Street. It is believed that Ms. Brown was offered and accepted a ride from an unknown subject. Ms. Brown’s last know address was 2737 Tarleton Ave. Initial investigation indicated that when Ms. Brown’s body was found, she had been dead approximately 1 week. Family members described Ms. Brown as being a “very sweet and loving mother.”
If you have any information please call the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at (865)-215-3520/3590 or e-mail coldcase@knoxsheriff.org.