United Mountain Defense Member Arrested by TVA

On Thursday, March 5 United Mountain Defense member Matt Landon was arrested by TVA police while giving a ride home to an elderly disabled Swan Pond resident, Eva Hewitt. The two were returning from the Tennessee Environmental and Conservation public meeting held earlier that day where Eva was one of several community members who spoke at a citizen’s press conference about health concerns relating to the TVA disaster.

Eva is blind in one eye and does not drive so Matt was returning her to her home on South Swan Pond Road. There continues to be a TVA check point on this road even after the citizens of Roane County were promised that the road blocks would be removed more than a month prior to this event. As Matt and Eva slowed down at the TVA check point Matt saw the TVA officer sitting in his patrol car “it looked like he was waving us through just as they have done many times in the past” said Matt Landon. Eva said “when we slowed down at the road block there was no officer at the guard booth, so Matt drove on to take me home”.

Once in Eva’s drive way, two TVA police pulled in and at that time searched and arrested Matt. Video documentation shows the TVA cops telling Matt he was being arrested for running the stop sign at the TVA check point. Matt was taken to the Roane County jail and is being charged with trespass by motor vehicle, violation of restricted access, and obedience to traffic control advice.

Eva said “It’s a shame they arrested him when he was just trying to help me out and give me a ride home.”

“I feel that arresting me today is just a continuation of the ongoing harassment I have experienced from the TVA police. TVA has tried to prevent United Mountain Defense from conducting independent water testing, deploying independent air monitoring, delivering bottled water to locals and working with the community of Roane County and they have consistently harassed me while doing this work. The citizens of Roane County deserve more from TVA and I do not plan on abandoning them in this time of need. ” said Landon.

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