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Who is Virginia Brown? Tennessee anti-vaxxer, 36, who sped through Covid vaccine tent arrested

Brown drove through a tent in Maryville, reportedly to protests against vaccines and charged with seven counts of felony reckless endangerment
UPDATED MAY 27, 2021
Virginia Christine Lewis Brown is due at Blount County General Sessions Court on June 7, 2021 (Blount County Sheriff's Office)
Virginia Christine Lewis Brown is due at Blount County General Sessions Court on June 7, 2021 (Blount County Sheriff's Office)

MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE: A 36-year-old woman has been charged with several felony counts after she drove a car into a vaccination site on May 24. Virginia Christine Lewis Brown was arrested just before 10 am, after putting the lives of multiple people at risk with her actions. According to witnesses, Brown yelled "no vaccine" as she sped through the vaccination site, nearly hitting several workers.

On being arrested, Brown said she drove through the site to protest against vaccines. Several people who were working at the time were nearly hit, but there have been no reports of serious injuries so far. At the time, there were around 15 people inside the tent, and National Guard troops just outside. Anti-vaxxers have become increasingly vocal about not wanting to get the shot. In January this year, anti-vax protests at the LA Dodgers stadium temporarily shut the site, 

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Blount County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brown and she was being held on bonds totaling $21,000. Brown is due at Blount County General Sessions Court on June 7. At the time of publication, she has not yet made bail. Here's everything we know about her, and the latest anti-vaxxer incident

The vaccine site at Foothills Mall (Twitter)

Who is Christine Lewis Brown?

Not much is known about Brown, who doesn't appear to have a social media presence. According to reports, she is from Greenback, Loudon County. We also couldn't find any other mentions of her in the media, so this is likely the first time she has been arrested. 

Brown's actions was caught by Deputy Kevin Snider, who was working the event and sitting in his cruiser at the time. According to the incident report filed by Snider, he saw the blue Chrysler SUV "traveling at a high rate of speed through the closed cone course and through an enclosed tent" and "exit the tent and continue to drive recklessly through the cone course." Shortly after, several people working inside the tent ran up to Snyder to report that many of them were nearly hit.

The Foothills Mall in Maryville, Tennessee. (Mike Kalasnik/ Wikimedia Commons)

Snider then followed the SUV and intercepted it on Morganton Road. When Brown was being taken into custody, she told Snyder that she drove through the site to protest the vaccine and that she was only going 5 miles per hour. Another unnamed deputy who was at the scene wrote, "I had several victims tell me she almost hit them as she fled through the tent at high speeds. I was advised that they were within inches and feet of the vehicle as it came through the tent. Several victims stated that they thought the driver was going to kill them."

As Brown was being taken to the Blount County Detention Facility, she made several statements "about wanting to protest the vaccine", Snider wrote. At the site, people register with the National Guard outside to get the vaccine, before driving into the tent to get their shot. Between the registration point, and tent, there is a cone course to regulate speeds. It is unclear what prompted Brown to take such extreme action. 

The vaccine site at Foothills Mall was opened in March 2021, in a bid to increase vaccine numbers in the area. The site is open by reservation only, between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM Monday to Friday. 

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