A Lenoir City man is accused of using a gun to shoot four automated license plate reader systems across Blount County and Maryville, turning East Tennessee’s privacy debate into a felony case. The alleged damage happened between July 14 and July 22, and police say the suspect now faces four felony vandalism counts.
According to WVLT, 37-year-old Adam Lee Heimerman was arrested Thursday after the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and Maryville Police Department investigated damage discovered July 25. Investigators said he admitted using a gun to shoot three systems in Blount County and one in the city of Maryville.
Police also said evidence showed Heimerman accessed one of the Blount County systems from the property of a house of worship while people were attending services. He is being held at the Blount County Correctional Facility on $40,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
Blount County’s financial records show the county has been paying for Flock Safety license plate reader software under a 60-month agreement entered in September 2023. The county’s annual report lists about $38,000 in yearly principal-and-interest payments for the system, according to the county financial report.
Flock Cameras Are Drawing Fresh Scrutiny Nearby
The arrest comes as Flock cameras face growing scrutiny in neighboring Knox County, where officials have been weighing a proposed rollout of more than 200 cameras. A separate WVLT report said a planned county commission workshop was canceled after residents and elected officials raised privacy and transparency concerns.
Heimerman has been charged, not convicted, and the next scheduled step is his court appearance Wednesday. For now, a technology promoted as a crime-fighting tool is at the center of a very different kind of investigation in East Tennessee.
