Target left at home of Nashville NAACP President; police say it was ‘pretty cool’ [UPDATED]

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Nashville NAACP President, Rev. Keith Caldwell, found a bullseye target placed on his front yard Saturday night. After police arrived, MNPD Officer Eric Michael McCoy reportedly said it was “pretty cool”, and didn’t appreciate the apparent threat being conveyed.

In a post on social media late Saturday night, Rev. Keith Caldwell says he walked out of his house at 8:28 p.m. to find a bullseye target in his front yard and called police, who were reportedly ‘flippant’ about the situation. The post is below:

I walked out of my house at 8:27 tonight only to find that someone left a bullseye target in my front yard! They had to climb up on my fence to put it in my yard as my gate is locked.

I called the police non-emergency number in order to make a police report. An officer arrived roughly 10-15 minutes later. I informed him that I take the bullseye target as someone sending me a Threat! He, Officer McCoy, then shrugs his shoulders and said that he, “thought the target was pretty cool.”
I informed him that I am the local NAACP President and have deep concerns about what this could mean for the safety of my life and the lives of my family members. I expressed him that it concerned me that he was so flippant about the matter.

I have since called back and have been waiting to hear from his Sargent.

I am communicating all this in order to go on record.

UPDATE: Metro Nashville Police issued the following statement late Sunday afternoon, in reference to the incident:

At 8:47 p.m. Saturday, the Communications Center received a call from Mr. Caldwell requesting to speak with an officer concerning a target on a stand in his front yard. An officer responded at 8:53 p.m. and spoke to Mr. Caldwell. There was no note or anything else with the target.

There was an apparent disagreement between the initial officer and Mr. Caldwell. The officer reported that Mr. Caldwell returned to his residence and contact between the officer and Mr. Caldwell ceased. A Matter of Record report was subsequently completed.

On Sunday morning, the MNPD followed up with Mr. Caldwell. A North Precinct day shift officer, a sergeant, and the on-duty Sunday captain visited with Mr. Caldwell at his residence. The officers report that the interaction was cordial. The plastic target with protruding bristles, which is part of an indoor/outdoor game available from Wal-Mart, is being stored at the MNPD’s Property & Evidence facility.

Mr. Caldwell is concerned that the target may have been placed in his yard as an act of intimidation due to his role as Nashville NAACP President or due to a dispute a member of his family is having with another individual.
The report classification has been changed from Matter of Record to Intimidation.

The threat assessment component of the MNPD’s Specialized Investigations Division (SID) will lead the investigation in an effort to determine who placed the target on the Caldwell property and why. A detective from SID has been in contact with Mr. Caldwell today and informed him of their work.
The MNPD began extra patrolling in Mr. Caldwell’s neighborhood last night. The extra patrol is continuing.

The initial response to the Saturday night call and the interaction between Mr. Caldwell & the first officer is under review.

MNPD 05/10/2020
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