The family of a man shot by Mt. Juliet police wants the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate

Late last year, a Mt. Juliet police officer fatally shot 39-year-old Eric Jermaine Allen. Last week, a Wilson County grand jury decided not to pursue charges against Police Sgt. Josh Lo.

Now, Allen’s family and local organizers are calling for Lo to face a federal investigation.

On Nov. 2, Allen was the passenger in a car pulled over for a minor traffic violation. Mt. Juliet police say the driver exited the vehicle, but Allen refused. He instead got behind the wheel and drove away while Lo was inside the car. Lo deployed his taser, and eventually his gun. Allen was unarmed.

The family’s attorney, Terry Clayton, said a news conference organized Tuesday by the Black Nashville Assembly that he has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, asking for criminal charges to be brought against Lo. A list of demands was also given to the Mt. Juliet City Commission.

“We also want Sgt. Joshua Lo to be fired, to be reprimanded for this type of harm that was done. … If you review the video, we all know that that is not what police officers are trained to do,” says Jamel Campbell-Gooch, one of the leaders of the Black Nashville Assembly. “We actually want him reprimanded for the actions that he has done against this family.”

The Mt. Juliet Police Department released a statement on behalf of Lo, defending his actions.

“The men and women of the Mt. Juliet Police Department dedicate themselves to the department’s core values of compassion, commitment, courage, competence, and integrity. As police officers, we swore an oath to uphold those values, support the Constitution, and honor the sanctity of human life,” wrote Mt. Juliet Police Chief James Hambrick.

“Sgt. Lo took that same oath. A Wilson County Grand Jury convened last week and reviewed the entire incident and TBI investigation. They ruled that Sgt. Lo’s actions were lawful.”

Hambrick added that body camera footage backed up Lo’s actions.

Lo was initially placed on paid leave, before returning to work at the end of November. Under Tennessee’s statute of limitations, the family has one year to pursue civil action.