On April 17, 2026, the Crossville Police Department responded to a report at Durable Products regarding a former employee allegedly threatening a current employee with a firearm. The dispute centered on an unpaid $60 debt.

The complainant reported that after he sent a text message mentioning he had driven by the former employee’s residence to collect the money, the former employee replied with threats to “blow him away” at their place of employment. While the complainant informed management of the threat, he told officers he was not in fear and was willing to engage in a physical fight, provided weapons were not involved.

Witness statements and surveillance footage did not show the former employee in possession of a weapon while on the property, and other staff members noted that the complainant had been talking about fighting the former employee for several days. When questioned, the former employee claimed his girlfriend had sent the threatening “bluff” messages from his phone without his knowledge in response to the complainant’s presence at their home.

He stated his visit to the business was solely to attempt to regain his job following his termination the day prior. Due to the conflicting nature of the text messages and the inability to verify the authorship of the threats, the reporting officer could not identify a primary aggressor.

No charges were filed, though the former employee was officially banned from the premises by management. Names withheld due to no charges being filed.