Eight men, not from Tennessee, are facing felony charges after allegedly peddling balloons inflated with nitrous oxide outside a concert in Knoxville.
Undercover police officers were circulating among the fans at the concert. At 12:44 a.m. the group of men showed up in the parking lot and allegedly began filling balloons from a large gas canister of nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas or 'hippie crack').
“Undercover officers dispersed throughout the crowd heard the defendants yelling, ‘Ice cold nitrous,” the warrants read. 'The defendants were observed selling the filled balloons to individuals in the crowd, who were then immediately inhaling the contents of the balloons and immediately exhibiting symptoms of inhalation intoxication.”
A search of the suspects' vehicle turned up numerous other nitrous oxide tanks. The groups accused leader is a 50 year-old man from New York. The other men ranged in age from 20 to 31 years-old.
"Each man was charged with one count of sale/exchange/delivery of inhalant for improper use. Although inhalants — including nitrous oxide — are not classified as controlled substances, their sale for the purpose of intoxication is a Class E felony under state law."
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