LAFOLLETTE (WATE) – A man that told authorities he was attacked by a large animal was charged with making a false report, according to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
A Campbell County Grand Jury indicted Michael Savage, 27, of LaFollette, after he claimed he was attacked by a large animal while walking along the road in LaFollette. After the attack, TWRA said they could not confirm the attack was caused by a bear, but they did issue a bear warning, and put out a trap.
However, after investigating, Matt Cameron with TWRA said they are “fairly certain” Savage was not attacked by a bear or any other wild animal. Cameron said there was no evidence of the attack on the scene and Savage’s wounds were not consistent with other bear attacks.
Savage was arrested by the LaFollette Police Department last week on separate charges and is being held on a $30,000 bond until his court date on February 8.