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Written by: E. George
Published December 18, 2024 @ 3:40 PM ET
FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. – A 66-year-old woman died after her 2002 Mazda Protege was struck by a Rome Police officer’s personal vehicle on Monday, December 9, 2024, following a bomb threat targeting Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Rome residence, which was later identified as a hoax.
According to the Rome Police Department, the accident occurred just after 11:00 AM on Redmond Road in Rome, not far from Walmart; officials transported Tammie Pickelsimer to a nearby hospital, where she passed away from her injuries.
Reports revealed that Pickelsimer exited a parking lot and drove into the direct path of Sergeant David Metroka’s GMC truck, which struck near her driver’s side door, causing her serious injuries. Metroka sustained minor injuries and was evaluated and released from a local hospital.
Although it was reported that Sergeant Metroka was not en route to Greene’s home, he was heading to meet his fellow bomb squad members at their headquarters.
Officials said the bomb threat email was sent to Assistant Chief Rodney Bailey’s department email at 7:05 PM on Friday, December 6, 2024. Because the system automatically diverted the message to a junk folder, the threat was not discovered until approximately 9:30 AM on Monday, December 9, 2024.
Assistant Chief Bailey immediately contacted Greene’s staff, who reported that she was not home. The email, which listed her correct address, claimed that her mailbox contained a pipe bomb.
A Rome Police officer traveled to Greene’s residence to monitor the scene until the bomb squad’s arrival. At approximately 11:15 AM, the vehicle accident that took Pickelsimer’s life was reported to 911, and Georgia State Patrol troopers responded. The Georgia State Patrol reported that the truck collided with the car “despite hitting the brakes,” according to CBS News.
A police department spokesperson said the agency is working closely with Greene and her team to tackle the growing number of “swatting” events in recent years. Swatting involves the culprit reporting a fake emergency at the target’s home to cause law enforcement to respond.
Representative Greene posted on X (formerly Twitter), “My prayers are with Tammie Pickelsimer, her family, the officer who was injured, and the entire Rome Police Department.”
Greene revealed, “Due to the international nature and severity of this threat, my office is collaborating closely with local and federal law enforcement, including the FBI, to ensure the perpetrator is brought to justice. Since being elected to Congress, I have been swatted at least nine times – deliberate attempts to provoke a deadly police response through false and highly exaggerated threats.”
She added, “These violent political threats have fatal consequences. It’s an undue strain on our law enforcement, who must treat them seriously. The officer was responding to protect my life, and now, a woman has lost her life because of this despicable act.”
Greene stated, “The perpetrator of this crime has committed murder in our small community of Rome, Georgia. I’m sick to my stomach, but I’m also angry. This should have never happened, and I pray it never happens again.”
She shared a video of a bomb squad member evaluating her mailbox and images of the email, which donned the subject line “For Palestine.” The email reportedly said the homemade device would explode when the mailbox was opened or sometime that weekend. Greene said law enforcement traced the threatening email to a Russian IP address.
The police department expressed its condolences to Pickelsimer’s loved ones and “holds the individual responsible for sending the threatening email fully accountable for setting this tragic chain of events into motion.” Officials are working with federal authorities to capture the culprit and bring that person to justice.