Prosecutor Jeremy Logsdon says ‘We cannot suffer bullying’ as he promises to prosecute anyone falsely reporting COVID-19 non-compliance

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Speaking during a coronavirus (COVID-19) briefing on Tuesday, a measured, clear and concise County Attorney Jeremy Logsdon warned citizens to not falsely report non-compliance issues regarding patients who have tested positive for the virus in the Grayson County community.

After an Easter weekend where county leadership and law enforcement spent hours chasing red-herring reports of an individual who tested positive for the virus being out in public, Logsdon dropped the hammer, promising to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who knowingly make such false claims.

“Reports of non-compliance of those isolated or quarantined can be very helpful to our community,” Logsdon said. “That information can be used by myself and other entities to take necessary protective actions. However, inaccurate information, hearsay accounts and fictional claims are not helpful. In fac they are quite detrimental to our community, as they fuel a flame that can grow quickly into a much more dangerous fire by the name of panic.

“I have been asked to remind those who create these fictions or encourage these falsities, of Kentucky Revised State 519.040, falsely reporting an incident,” Logsdon stated. Falsely reporting an incident is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.

The statute reads as follows:

A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident when he: (a) Knowingly causes a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property; or (b) Reports to law enforcement authorities an offense or incident within their official concern knowing that it did not occur; or (c) Furnishes law enforcement authorities with information allegedly relating to an offense or incident within their official concern when he knows he has no information relating to such offense or incident; or (d) Knowingly gives false information to any law enforcement officer with intent to implicate another; or (e) Initiates or circulates a report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire or other emergency under circumstances likely to cause public inconvenience or alarm when he knows the information reported, conveyed or circulated is false or baseless.

“Some people’s motivation in calling into the health department or to 911 or other law enforcement agencies may be good-hearted,” Logsdon continued, “However, if this information is not accurate, all it does is draw from our resources, complicate the issue, and make it harder on the individual who is trying to live in our community and follow the rules of isolation. Facebook, information that is transmitted online, gets back to this person. Those people who do not provide this information — or this misinformation as it should be called — good-heartedly, are doing it with the intent to bully or harass. We cannot suffer bullying.

“There’s been such an effort in our schools to address bullying with children, it goes the same with our citizens. It will not be accepted.”

In what appeared to be the most serious manner possible, Logsdon then cautioned people against spreading falsehoods via reporting inaccurate information to law enforcement and the health department, with a promise of prosecution.

“My office intends to pursue charges on anyone that maliciously spreads this information to our law enforcement agencies or health department with the intent to harass or otherwise make this isolation on this individual more difficult.

“I was out this weekend, and I went with (Leitchfield Police Department) Det. Kevin Smith to a location in which we spoke with a young lady who filled out an affidavit that this certain patient was at a public location. Upon verification of that information, we went to a very public business and we reviewed those tapes, (and) guess what? (The) information was false. The audacity of some individuals during this time of emergency, this time of crisis, is mind-blowing. However, as I have spoke to you before, the common sense and the effort showed by Grayson County citizens warms my heart and gives me confidence that we’ll make it through this together. This is just a bump in the road.

“The Judge-Executive, Kevin Henderson, Josh Embry with the health department, and myself, encourage everyone to keep their chins up and do the right thing.”

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com