Decatur Co. sheriff reacts to fake article targeting his deputies

DECATUR COUNTY,  Tenn. — A prank with serious consequences is circulating online in the form of a made-up news story targeting Decatur County sheriff’s deputies.

The fake article circulating online is listed as being from WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News. It’s posted on a prank website and contains false information about Decatur County deputies.

“It’s somebody’s idea of sick humor, I suppose,” Decatur County Sheriff Keith Byrd said.

The article says Decatur County deputies were arrested in an undercover sting by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

“This thing is totally false,” Byrd said. “It has absolutely no validity to it. And it’s just one of those things you don’t do.”

The article looks real, even with claims it came from WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News.

But only when the reader scrolls to the bottom does it say it’s just a prank.

“In times like these when a lot of people don’t trust the police in the first place, this makes it worse,” Byrd said.

April Barrett worked in PR for many years and says people use these kinds of pranks to gain viewers to their websites or publications.

“The old saying, ‘if it sounds good, it’s too good to be true,’ rings true today, especially when you are talking about the internet,” she said.

Barrett said this is just one example of why people need to check the facts before believing something they read on the internet.

Barrett says to check the source the story came from. If you haven’t heard of it, there’s a good chance it’s not reliable.

“Make sure that you check around, look at the news and know your news,” she said. “Pay attention to the news around you and know what’s going on around you.”

Sheriff Byrd says if he finds out who wrote the article, there will be a court date.

“I am going to continue to beat the bushes to see what I can find out,” he said.

If someone claims information is coming from WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News, we encourage you to check our website first.