VERIFY: Is a tank in Houston County with the National Guard?

CENTERVILLE, Ga. — You may have seen a tank in front of a Centerville business recently. Governor Brian Kemp announced the National Guard would be deployed to areas in Georgia to stop the spread of COVID-19, but is tank a part of that deployment?

Some people have contacted 13WMAZ with concerns about what the tank is doing in Houston County. Sabrinna Burse set out to verify if it's with the National Guard. 

Her sources are Governor Brian Kemp's executive order regarding the National Guard and Centerville store owner Shaun Sutton.

"Tons of people coming by taking pictures of it, calling. You know, I've seen the Facebook things of people concerned," said Sutton. 

Sutton says it's been getting a lot of attention on Watson Boulevard during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Everybody is concerned. This is something new for everyone of us and completely unexpected, and it's it getting more and more real every day because more and more people are getting sick and in hospitals," said Sutton. 

Is this tank involved with the Georgia National Guard that Governor Brian Kemp called to prepare and respond to COVID-19? Governor Kemp said up to 2,000 troops would be available to ensure the steady supply of medical equipment, food, shelter, or related materials to keep Georgians safe in the weeks ahead.

But Sutton says this tank actually belongs to him. 

"I own quite a few military vehicles. We actually have a couple, few tanks. These are from the U.K. They are deactivated, the weaponry. They are something that we collect that I enjoy," said Sutton. 

So we verified the tank is not a part of fight against the coronavirus. Sutton says the roughly 15,000 pound tank is one of many military vehicles he owns.

"It has rubber tracks. You can actually drive it on the street," said Sutton. 

Sutton says he's using the tank for a store project and has owned it for about seven years. 

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FACTS NOT FEAR | At 13WMAZ, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the coronavirus. To see our full coverage, visit our site section here: www.13wmaz.com/Coronavirus.

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