Tucson woman arrested for allegedly making threat against Tempe City Council meeting

PHOENIX – A Tucson woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly making the online threat that prompted the postponement of a Tempe City Council meeting last month, authorities said.

Kathleen Tierney faces one felony count of computer tampering, one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct and one misdemeanor count of threatening and intimidating, according to the Tempe Police Department.

The computer tampering charge stems from a state statute that covers “recklessly using a computer, computer system or network to engage in a scheme or course of conduct that is directed at another person and that seriously alarms, torments, threatens or terrorizes the person.”

Tierney was taken into custody in Tucson by Tempe Criminal Apprehension Surveillance Team officers with support from the U.S. Marshals Service.

“This arrest demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the safety of our community members and elected leaders,” Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy said in a press release. “Threats like this not only endanger lives, they disrupt civic engagement and silence the voices of the people we serve.”

What happened when threat was made against Tempe City Council meeting?

Wednesday’s arrest came after an investigation into a threatening social media post against people attending the Aug. 28 Tempe City Council meeting.

The threat was posted while the council chamber was filling up shortly before the meeting was to begin.

“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 in a press release at the time.

About 75 people were escorted from the room, and the meeting was rescheduled to Sept. 2 and conducted virtually as a precaution.

A work study session on Sept. 4 was also changed to a virtual meeting.

Tempe resumed in-person meetings last Thursday after police implemented several new security measures.

Tempe City Council meetings are held at the East Valley suburb’s City Hall, a distinctive inverted pyramid building on Fifth Street just east of Mill Avenue.

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