A man in Harriman, Morgan County, has been taken into custody for possession of what turned out to be inert and hoax weapons, according to multiple reports. Tommy James Cooper, the 48-year-old individual in question, was discovered with an array of prohibited items that included a nonfunctional military rocket launcher and several faux explosive devices when bounty hunters attempted to apprehend him for failing to appear in court, as detailed in a WVLT report.
The incident escalated rapidly, and the bounty hunters stumbled upon the suspicious items during a safety sweep and subsequently alerted the authorities. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), alongside the Knox County Sheriff's Office bomb squad and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, descended upon the scene. In an official press release obtained by 3bmedianews.com, the TBI elaborated that the recovery agents were on Cooper's trail on an outstanding Roane County warrant for Failure to Appear when they discovered the weapons cache.
The chase culminated when Cooper, who had attempted to evade capture through a lengthy foot pursuit led by Sheriff’s Office Detectives Sarah Posey and Willie Dutton, was finally detained on a side road near his home. Despite the alarming appearance of the weaponry, officials later determined that the rocket launcher was inert and the other devices were classified as practical hoaxes. As the investigation continued, Cooper was charged with multiple counts related to the prohibited weapons by the TBI.
Moreover, a social media post from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed the arrest, succinctly stating that agents had apprehended a Harriman man under accusations involving prohibited weapons. Despite the significant law enforcement response, and to Cooper's likely relief, no real explosives were found on his property. He is currently being held without bond and faces the prospect of a judicial process to answer for the charges that are, by law, merely accusations until proven in a court of law.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have arrested a Harriman man accused of possessing prohibited weapons.https://t.co/0Lz6OEDG2r
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) July 25, 2025
