Judge Puts Freedom Of Press On Trial In Nashville Trans Shooter ‘Manifesto’ Battle
Editor Michael Patrick Leahy says he will go to jail before revealing the source of the documents, and the judge just might oblige.
A Nashville hotel is being accused of religious discrimination after abruptly canceling a pro-Israel event.
The Israel Summit — a "gathering of pro-Israel supporters who unconditionally support Israel’s right to be sovereign in the entirety of the land of Israel, including Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip," according to the event website — was scheduled to take place at the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel next week, May 20–22.
'In the end, the Sonesta Hotel made a corporate decision to cancel.'
But last Friday, a representative for the hotel abruptly canceled the event.
The representative told HaYovel, a Christian organization that is coordinating the event, in an email dated May 10:
We have received credible threats regarding the safety of your group, our guests and employees, our hotel and sister property, and to businesses in our neighborhood. Those threats were confirmed by law enforcement officials in the last 24 hours. Consequently, we are invoking our rights under the force majeure clause of the contract and unfortunately are canceling the event that was scheduled for May 20-22, including canceling any guestroom reservations associated with the event. We are sincerely sorry.
On Monday, the First Liberty Institute sent Sonesta a letter accusing the hotel of "unlawful religious discrimination in a place of public accommodation."
By canceling the contract, Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel at First Liberty, said Sonesta violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Tennessee Human Rights Act.
The problem, according to Sasser, is the alleged threats "were anti-semitic and anti-Israel in nature and in line with the hateful rhetoric currently seen on some of America’s college campuses" and not sufficient legal justification to cancel the contract under its force majeure clause.
"It is un-American — and illegal — to cancel a gathering due to religious beliefs and quite frankly it is morally wrong," Sasser said in a statement. "The Sonesta and others cannot surrender to terror in violation of federal and Tennessee law. If this hotel chain surrenders to pro-Hamas, terrorist beliefs, where does it stop? The hotel must make the choice of standing with American ideals or pro-Hamas terrorists. We hope the hotel will quickly reverse its decision."
Moreover, Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed the hotel did not receive threats per se. Rather, the hotel was inundated with "external messages" demanding they cancel the pro-Israel event.
"The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department did not advocate, in any shape or form, for the cancellation of the conference at the Sonesta Hotel. Any inference to the contrary is false," Drake said in an email seen by Blaze News.
"Equally false is the assertion in an online article that this police department voiced concerns about persons being in physical danger. In fact, members of the police department did, indeed, meet with hotel management at its request to talk about the conference," Drake explained. "We let it be known that we were absolutely prepared to help the hotel create a safety and security plan, as we would with any of our city’s hotels, and offer additional support if needed."
"At the same time, I am aware that the Sonesta was receiving a number of external messages urging that it not host the event. In the end, the Sonesta Hotel made a corporate decision to cancel. This police department was in no way a party to that decision," he clarified.
Palestine Hurra Collective Nashville — an activist group "dedicated to the total liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea" — is the group behind those messages, according to the Jewish News Syndicate.
Last week, Palestine Hurra instructed its supporters to bombard the general manager of the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel with messages demanding they cancel the pro-Israel event, even drafting a script for supporters to recite via phone or email.
The post claimed that event organizers and attendees were gathering to "celebrate the death of civilians and recruit new Zionists."
"Call relentlessly until this event is shut down!" the post demanded.
It appears the pressure campaign worked — at least for now. But organizers have no plans to cancel the event.
"We will move forward with this event at a different venue and show these thugs that they will not be rewarded for their unconstitutional, hateful actions," HaYovel said. "Now, more than ever, it is important that America stands unconditionally with Israel and that we publicly show that we cannot be intimidated by pro-Hamas thugs."
Dave Ramsey, whose business is located in the Nashville area, has reportedly offered to host the summit.
Blaze News reached out to a representative for Sonesta, but multiple messages were not returned.
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The Metro Nashville Police Department has placed seven officers on administrative duty after several pages of the Covenant School killer's manifesto were leaked.
In a statement, the police department claimed that moving the officers to desk duty is not punishment for the leak.
"Seven individuals are on administrative assignment (absolutely non-punitive) to protect the integrity of the active, progressing investigation," a police department spokesman said. "All seven have full police power. We are not identifying any of the seven by name. Not fair to them."
The department, however, did not explain the connection between the seven officers and the leak.
The department's manual states that officers may be placed on administrative assignment when their supervisor has approved them "to be absent from their normal assigned tour of duty and no other type status is appropriate." Administrative assignment, the manual explains, is typically reserved for officers who have been involved "in a use of force that is under investigation." It does not state other reasons for administrative duty.
On Monday, Steven Crowder published three pages of that screed, which he obtained through a source in the police department. The pages included the killer's "death day" schedule and the killer's hate-fueled ramblings.
The leak set off a firestorm of controversy, and Mayor Freddie O'Connell (D) demanded an investigation into how the pages were leaked. MNPD Chief John Drake later confirmed the pages are authentic.
"I am greatly disturbed by today’s unauthorized release of three pages of writings from the Covenant shooter. This police department is extremely serious about the investigation to identify the person responsible," Drake said in a statement. "This action showed a total disregard for Covenant families, as well as the court system, which has control of the shooter’s journals at the present time due to litigation filed earlier this year."
While it's true there is an ongoing legal battle over the manifesto, Crowder made a keen observation about the reaction of Nashville authorities over the leak.
"The powers that be are more concerned about finding the leaker than they are about the contents of [the killer]'s anti-white manifesto. Interesting," he said.
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Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake's estranged son made the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's most-wanted list this week after allegedly shooting two La Vergne police officers. The manhunt for the convicted rapist ended Tuesday night with a "muffled gunshot."
Blaze News previously reported that La Vergne Police officers were investigating a report of a possible stolen vehicle when they encountered 38-year-old John C. Drake Jr. outside a Dollar General. The LVPD indicated that after a brief struggle, Drake pulled a handgun and shot officers Ashley Boleyjack and Gregory Kern, then fled the scene.
The officers were both taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and have since been released.
Following the shooting, the LVPD advised residents to shelter in place, and the TBI put out a statewide Blue Alert, noting that Drake was "armed and extremely dangerous."
The shooting was not the only reason to suspect that Drake posed a threat to the public. He had an extensive criminal record, having been hit with nearly 60 criminal charges in Davidson County since 2005. He had been convicted of numerous crimes, including aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, rape, multiple sex offender registration violations, and felony strangulation.
Chief Drake stated Saturday, "Despite my efforts and guidance in the early and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38 years old, resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon. ... He now needs to be found and held accountable for his actions today."
The days-long manhunt culminated in a hot pursuit Tuesday evening.
The Metro Nashville Police Department indicated that John C. Drake stole a 2013 gold Chrysler 200 sedan at gunpoint around 6 p.m. on Tuesday. He had initially approached a man outside a duplex in the 100 block of Antioch Pike, asking for a ride. When the man told the rapist he didn't drive, Drake glimpsed a neighbor sitting in her sedan.
According to police, Drake opened the door of the Chrysler and asked the 23-year-old female occupant for a ride. When she declined, claiming she was running low on gas, Drake brandished his pistol and ordered her out of the car. He commandeered the vehicle, then drove toward Nolensville Pike.
After an MNPD investigator spotted the car on Thompson Place at Patricia Drive, ground units with MNPD air support swooped in to apprehend the suspect.
The street chase terminated at 8:01 p.m. when Drake smashed into a parked vehicle on Villa Place. With ground units hot on his tail and an MNPD chopper overhead, Drake made a run for it. He bolted through multiple yards, then attempted to hide in the backyard shed of a home in the 1400 block of 15th Avenue South.
With nowhere left to run and police forming a perimeter around the property, Drake apparently put a gun to his head.
The TBI noted that responding officers "heard a muffled gunshot from an outbuilding and subsequently found Drake deceased from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Unlike La Vergne Police Officers Ashley Boleyjack and Gregory Kern, Drake didn't survive the shot.
"It was my prayer that no harm would come to him or anyone else. I am heartbroken and saddened by the outcome," Chief John Drake said in a statement. "I appreciate the condolences and kind words of support as my family and I privately mourn our loss."
The MNPD chief added, "I am grateful to the members of law enforcement, including many officers from this department, who worked diligently since Saturday to locate my son and bring him into custody."
TBI agents will investigate the rapist's death and perform a full autopsy at the request of 20th Judicial District Attorney General Glenn Funk.
LVPD Chief Christopher Moews issued a statement Tuesday, saying, "The La Vergne community and our heroic officers can rest easy tonight knowing that the manhunt for John Drake, Jr. is over. We want to thank all of the officers who were involved in tonight's pursuit for their steadfastness and dedication to seeing this case through to the end."
Moews added, "Our prayers are with Chief Drake and his family."
The LVPD chief further indicated that both of the officers who had been shot are now at home recovering from their injuries. He stressed that the assistance the La Verge Fire Department provided to the downed officers in the aftermath of the shooting was lifesaving.
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The head of school at the Covenant School in Nashville was gunned down when she allegedly rushed the perpetrator who opened fire in the Christian school on Monday.
Nashville City Councilman Russ Pulley told Fox News that head of school Dr. Katherine Koonce was participating in a virtual meeting when she heard the first shots ring out just after 10:00 a.m. on Monday.
She responded by leaving the meeting and rushing toward the perpetrator. It was a horrifying moment that she had prepared for.
"It is my understanding from a witness at the school that Katherine Koonce was on a Zoom call when she heard the first shot. She immediately ended the call, got up and headed straight for the shooter," explained Pulley, a former FBI special agent. "She did what principals and headmasters do; she protected her children.
"In addition, she prepared the school by seeking advanced-level active-shooter training, and from witnesses at the scene, this protocol — details of which I cannot provide — saved countless lives," Pulley explained.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake appeared to confirm the story.
Drake explained that when he entered the school, he saw Koonce's lifeless body in the hallway — not the office where she worked, indicating her movement toward the perpetrator.
"I do know she was in the hallway by herself," Drake explained. "There was a confrontation, I'm sure — you can tell [by] the way she was lying in the hallway."
Another hero now being recognized is 9-year-old Evelyn Dieckhaus, who was also killed on Monday.
According to reports, Dieckhaus was gunned down as she tried to pull the school's fire alarm, a desperate attempt to alert her schoolmates about the killer stalking their halls.
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Nashville Police Chief John Drake made an interesting disclosure on Monday about the plans of the perpetrator of the Covenant School massacre.
At a press conference, Drake said that investigators had discovered the perpetrator had planned to attack another location, but decided against that location because it had significant security.
"There was another location that was mentioned, but because of a threat assessment by the suspect of too much security, they decided not to," Drake said. "That area was here in Nashville, so we're continuing with that investigation as well."
Drake confirmed the perpetrator had written a manifesto that explained why she conducted the attack, which included detailed plans. That is presumably the source of law enforcement's theory that the perpetrator skipped her first targeted location because of "too much security."
Chief Drake, Mayor Cooper, Don Aaron provide update on investigation youtu.be
The admission is significant because, at least on an anecdotal level, it confirms that increased security measures, such as armed personnel, make potential targets "hard" and not "soft." Advocates of armed security argue that "hard targets," as opposed to "soft targets," deter individuals bent on violence who wish to carry out an attack.
One of those locations may have been a local mall, Drake said on Tuesday.
"We strongly believe there was going to be some other targets, including maybe family members, and one of the malls here in Nashville," Drake told CBS News. "And that just did not happen."
Whether the mall was the location the perpetrator initially wanted to attack is not yet known. Malls are harder targets because many citizens are legally armed for self-protection. Just last month, a massacre was averted in El Paso when a teenager opened fire inside the mall. And last year, an armed citizen shot dead a person who opened fire inside an Indiana mall food court.
Schools, on the other hand, are generally "soft targets," where firearms are not permitted.
Police do not believe that any of the victims of Monday's atrocity were targeted specifically. Rather, the location was targeted. Drake told CBS News that the perpetrator may have resented having been sent to the school when she was younger.
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