The Metro Nashville Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have come to an agreement over how to handle police shootings.
The two agencies butted heads after the TBI took over the investigation into the shooting of Jocques Clemmons by a police officer. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry
says in a statement that her office helped resolve differences of opinion.
The final agreement says the TBI will handle any criminal investigations into use of force that results in a fatality. And Metro Police will be able to do its own investigation for administrative purposes.
Police Chief Steve Anderson had been insistent on this point — that his department should be able to do a separate inquiry. Mayor Barry said Friday that she has full confidence in his leadership of the department.
“I think that there’s always opportunity for improvement in any Metro agency, and clearly the chief is as committed as I am as to making sure that when gaps are identified, that we’re moving forward to make sure Nashvillians are safe,” she said.
The memorandum of understanding signed by the district attorney, the TBI and Metro Police late Friday does not impact the Clemmons investigation. Police say their work was done March 23. The TBI investigation is ongoing.
Internal tensions over simultaneous investigations were
made public last week by the
Nashville Scene
. Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson faced scrutiny after emails revealed that his department conducted a parallel investigation alongside the TBI.
John Locke, deputy director of the TBI
, contacted District Attorney Glenn Funk, saying that it was “impossible for the
TBI
to conduct an independent investigation while another agency” conducts one.
A meeting was called between the TBI, police, and Mayor Barry last week after the emails were made public.