SEVIERVILLE, TN ( Story courtesy of WVLT) – Sevierville Mayor Robbie Fox announced that the ‘Slammedenuff’ car show will not be invited back after the event was canceled Saturday night due to crowds that the city called unmanageable.
The announcement was made at Sevierville’s City Meeting on Monday night.
The Sevierville Police Department said that there were 30 arrests and 118 citations issued over the weekend.
ORIGINAL STORY: It was a busy weekend for law enforcement in Sevier County as the “Slammedenuff” car show was in town at the Sevierville Convention Center.
Pigeon Forge Police Chief Richard Catlett said his department received 1,397 calls for service from Thursday to Monday morning and 1,859 during the week. On a normal weekend, PFPD only has about 300 calls for service. There were also 38 crashes, 482 citations issued and 40 arrests by the department.
As for the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, there were 920 calls for service between Wednesday, Oct. 2 and Sunday, Oct. 5, more than double the amount they had the previous week.
Additionally, there were a total of 52 crashes, 70 citations issued and 35 arrests by the sheriff’s office. PFPD has not said how many people were arrested by its agency.
While the event was held in Sevierville, part of the estimated 250,000 people in town during the weekend for the show were in Pigeon Forge at Jimmy’s Market. It was there Saturday night where Catlett said the crowd became unmanageable, and the business ultimately requested officers to clear the parking lot to ensure safety.
“I wasn’t willing to get a police officer hurt over the business that invited the people to be there,” Catlett said. “90% of people are here to enjoy themselves, to enjoy the show, to see the cars and to do whatever. The 10% that ruin it for the 90% are those that climbed the gas pumps, got on top of the roof, got up on the sign.”
This was one of several factors that led to the City of Sevierville to cancel the second day of the event, citing “numerous disturbances, safety concerns and a significant strain on county-wide public resources” related to activities around the event.
On Monday, Pigeon Forge Mayor Kevin McClure expressed his displeasure for what happened over the weekend.
“I was disgusted by what I saw firsthand with Chief Catlett,” McClure said. “I didn’t like what I saw; it was very sickening. That’s not Pigeon Forge; that’s not our community, that’s not how we act here.”
Additionally, Catlett said Jimmy’s Market was cited multiple times for “violation of special event laws” related to the large crowds that gathered there over the weekend.
Sevierville cancels final day of ‘Slammedenuff’ car show after numerous disturbances and safety concerns
Officials with the City of Sevierville said Sunday they will be reviewing the event’s overall impact and reevaluate its future viability at the Sevierville Convention Center.
Slammedenuff said on social media after Sunday’s cancellation that it is onto bigger and better things,” adding that it may not come back to Sevierville.
Jimmy’s Market Sevierville (Photo courtesy of WVLT)
