A Tucson woman has been arrested in connection with the online threat that led to the postponement of a Tempe City Council meeting last month, police announced Wednesday.
Kathleen Tierney faces one felony charge of computer tampering and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and threatening and intimidating, according to the Tempe Police Department. She was taken into custody in Tucson by Tempe’s Criminal Apprehension Surveillance Team with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case stems from an incident on Aug. 28, when a threatening message was posted on social media just as about 75 people were gathering in the council chambers at Tempe City Hall. The post was deemed specific and credible enough that officials evacuated the room and postponed the meeting.
“The concern was specific in nature and credible enough that we could not in good conscience proceed with the meeting,” Assistant Chief James Sweig said at the time.
The meeting was rescheduled for Sept. 2 and held virtually. A subsequent Sept. 4 work study session was also moved online. In-person meetings resumed last week with new security measures in place.
Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy said Tierney’s arrest underscores the seriousness of such threats. “Threats like this not only endanger lives, they disrupt civic engagement and silence the voices of the people we serve,” he said.
Tierney’s felony charge of computer tampering is based on an Arizona statute covering the reckless use of a computer system to engage in conduct that threatens or terrorizes others.
Tempe’s council chambers are located in the city’s iconic inverted pyramid building just east of Mill Avenue, where security remains heightened following the incident.
