Nashville Mayor Issues ‘State of Civil Emergency’ After Christmas Explosion

Nashville Mayor John Cooper issued a “state of civil emergency” following an explosion that occurred downtown on Christmas Day, imposing a curfew that will not be lifted until Sunday.

“I have signed Executive Order 12 to issue a state of civil emergency proclaimed within the area bounded by James Robertson Parkway, 4th Ave north, Broadway and the Cumberland River,” the mayor announced Friday evening.

“A curfew will start at 4:30pm, Friday Dec 25. and be lifted Sunday, December 27 at 4:30pm,” he added:

I have signed Executive Order 12 to issue a state of civil emergency proclaimed within the area bounded by James Robertson Parkway, 4th Ave north, Broadway and the Cumberland River. A curfew will start at 4:30pm, Friday Dec 25. and be lifted Sunday, December 27 at 4:30pm. pic.twitter.com/jZ484LrHZ7

— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) December 25, 2020

According to Metro councilmember Freddie O’Connell, the curfew took many people by surprise:

On to the next phase: currently working with downtown residents who are out of town but can’t get anyone in to their buildings to, e.g., turn off water to prevent pipes from freezing.

I understand the reasons for the curfew, but it definitely caught people by surprise.

— Freddie #StayHome O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) December 26, 2020

Here's the latest I have on the impact of the curfew on impacted downtown residents, employees, business owners, and property owners: @NashvilleEOC and @MNPDNashville will be meeting tomorrow in conjunction with federal authorities. https://t.co/ZwbTKYDNY9

— Freddie #StayHome O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) December 26, 2020

Restrictions will likely apply until after a determination has been made that the area is safe and secured.

I will try to post additional updates as I have them.

— Freddie #StayHome O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) December 26, 2020

Nashville Police Chief John Drake provided an update on Friday, noting that police were responding to a call of shots fired before hearing an evacuation warning on a loudspeaker.

He said:

This morning, around 5:30 a.m., officers responded to a call for shots fired in the downtown area, specifically 2nd and near Commerce. As officers responded, they encountered an RV that had a recording saying that a potential bomb would detonate within 15 minutes. Officers, upon hearing that, decided to evacuate the buildings nearby. So they began knocking on doors, making announcements, having emergency communications communicate with everyone to get people safe. Shortly after that, the RV exploded. We had one officer that was knocked to the ground. Another officer is fine.

Six officers  — Brenna Hosey, James Luellen, Michael Sipos, Amanda Topping, James Wells, and Sergeant Timothy Miller — have been recognized for evacuating people and saving lives ahead of the explosion.

As Breitbart News reported, the explosion is widely believed to have been intentional but “meant to limit casualties.” Human remains, however, have been found at the site of the blast, according to the Associated Press.