'Heartsick': Woman killed in crash involving officer responding to bomb threat at MTG's home
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she is "heartsick" after learning the police response to a bomb threat at her home Monday resulted in a fatal traffic accident.
"I’m sick to my stomach, but I’m also angry. This should have never happened and I pray it never happens again," she wrote on X.
Rome Police Department spokesperson Kelly Madden told Paste BN that a county bomb squad was deployed to respond to the threat at Greene's residence. An officer called to join the response was in a car accident on his way to the station. While the officer was not critically injured, the other driver involved died, Madden said.
Tammie Pickelsimer, 66, was pulling out of a parking lot onto the road where the officer was driving in his personal car, according to the Georgia State Patrol's preliminary findings. The officer braked and hit her car on the driver's door area. Pickelsimer was transported to the hospital, where she passed away due to her injuries, the GSP said. The crash is still under investigation.
Officers ruled out danger at MTG house, threat traced to Russian IP
The bomb squad ruled out any potential dangers at Greene's residence and turned over the bomb threat investigation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Madden said. The FBI Atlanta office said it is investigating and did not provide further information.
The email threat was traced to a Russian IP address, Rome police said.
"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," Greene said on X. "And now, a woman has lost her life because of this despicable act."
Greene is one of several political figures to have received bomb threats and swatting calls over the last several weeks. Several Democratic lawmakers and nominees for President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet received violent threats over Thanksgiving week.
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at Paste BN. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com, and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.