'They are worthy of death': Tennessee preacher-cop who called for the execution of LGBTQ people under review
Grayson Fritts, a detective who also serves in the capacity of a preacher at the All Scripture Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, delivered a sermon at his church recently calling for the execution of LGBTQ people. As reported by WATE, in a sermon he gave on June 2, he said that "They are worthy of death." The Knox County District Attorney's Office said that they are "reviewing all pending cases" involving Fritts, a Knox County Sheriff's deputy "to scrutinize them for any potential bias."
Fritts' sermon on June 2 invoked the words "Why Leviticus 20:13 Should Still Be Enforced," wherein he asked authorities, including the government and the police force, to enforce the death penalty for people from the LGBTQ community. He said in his sermon, "God has instilled the power of civil government to send the police in 2019 out to these LGBT freaks and arrest them, and have a trial for them, and if they are convicted, they are to be put to death." He said, "It is a capital crime that should be carried out by our government."
The sermon was put up on YouTube and later deleted but this did not deter Fritts from giving another sermon where he spoke along the same lines again. He said in a sermon on Wednesday, June 12, night, "This whole homosexual agenda is not my platform. I think they're vile, I think they're wicked, I don't even want to think about them. My goal is to save, to preach, to educate." He further said, " I'm just saying one of the laws of the United States should be to put homos to death."
In response to these allegations, District Attorney General Charme Allen said in a statement, "We are looking into it and will respond accordingly. As District Attorney, I have dedicated my career to the belief that justice is blind and that all people are entitled to equal protection of the law. I always have and always will prosecute fairly and justly, based upon the law and the evidence, without prejudice, bias, or discrimination of any kind."
Presently, all the cases which involved Fritts are under review for potential bias and even the closed cases are being brought forward. Fritts is no longer in active duty and his actions would be scrutinized by authorities before action is taken.