Oak Ridge police describe changes after May 25 Scarborough shooting; city plans foot patrols, on-call mobilization

Police Chief Robin Smith told Oak Ridge City Council on June (reading) that the department has changed how it will respond to rapidly assembling crowds after a May 25 incident in the Scarborough neighborhood that left nine people shot and one person cut.

Smith said patrol supervisors observed “an unusual stream of vehicles coming into the city on South Illinois Avenue” the night before the shooting and later verified by drone footage that “a significant number of people carrying weapons” had gathered. The department received multiple 911 calls about the growing crowd, she said, and staged officers nearby rather than engaging from vehicles because only six officers were on duty that shift.

The chief said officers entered the crowd after shots were fired shortly after 3 a.m., and that officers “immediately drove into the crowd, loaded 3 gunshot victims into their police cars, and drove them to where paramedics were waiting to give emergency care.”

Why it matters: Council members pressed for details about who formed the crowd and how the department will avoid similar outcomes. Chief Smith described procedural changes that the department says are already in use on recent weekends: mobilizing additional off‑duty officers, placing officers on foot patrol to engage crowds in person, using drones and criminal investigators for community outreach, and staging mutual‑aid support from neighboring agencies.

Specific steps announced: Smith said the department will - increase on‑foot patrols when social media indicates a planned assembly; - establish an on‑call system with standby pay to mobilize off‑duty officers quickly; - set up a digital notification process to call in off‑duty officers; - call on Anderson County Sheriff, Knox County Sheriff, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for mutual aid when needed; and - activate and stage the department’s SWAT team and conduct refresher training in crowd control and incident command.

Council members asked how the department planned to restore and preserve community relationships in Scarborough. Smith said city investigators and criminal investigators have been “out in the community on several afternoons just to talk to people,” and that those visits have been “very well received.” City Manager Randy Hayman said the city is arranging a public forum to give residents a chance to ask questions and offer ideas; he said an earlier meeting had to be moved at the community’s request and officials were working to reschedule it.

Council follow‑up and interagency work: Smith said she has scheduled a meeting with Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, TBI and the state attorney general’s office to coordinate planning for the June and the July 4–5 holiday period. She said the sheriff’s office offered deputy support for prisoner processing and transport, THP offered additional patrol personnel, and TBI offered criminal‑intelligence support.

What the department would not discuss: Smith declined to discuss investigative details she said were part of an active criminal investigation, including whether the wounded or suspects were local residents.

Community reaction: Council members and community speakers pressed for regular updates and clearer public communication. The council directed staff to schedule a forum for Scarborough residents and to coordinate interagency planning for upcoming holiday weekends.