MNPD & TSU remove officers from working downtown Nashville’s private ‘mercenary’ police force

As of last week, administrations of both the Metro Nashville and the Tennessee State University Police Departments have stopped scheduling officers to work secondary employment on the Downtown Partnership’s private police force, described as “mercenaries” by some, including Mayoral Candidate Alice Rolli. While MNPD says it was a “mutual decision” between them and the PSO (Private Security Organization), Jack Byrd, who manages the PSO, tells Scoop: Nashville the decision was solely his. The PSO has become controversial in recent weeks over reported ‘homeless roundups’ to clear up the area for tourists. A statement from an MNPD spokesperson ties the scheduling pause to an “insurance issue,” while TSU did not comment on their reasoning for stopping the program permanently. The remainder of the officers left working for the troubled PSO are primarily from Millersville PD & THP.

TSU Police wakes up sleeping man at Riverfront park to arrest him — Jonathan Counts

TSU Police Officer William Bottoms says he found 35-year-old Jonathan Countsasleep at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville just before 6 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. He charged him with criminal trespass, noting the park closed at 11 p.m. It is unclear why TSU Officers were patrolling Riverfront Park at 6 a.m. and the department has not responded to inquiries about this story.

TSU Police charge two teens with felonies for 75 grams of marijuana on campus — General Jai Lynch & Jordan Bowers

TSU Campus Police Officer responded to the back of Wilson Hall on the TSU Campus Saturday afternoon, where he says she smelled “an odor of marijuana” coming from a vehicle, which was occupied by 19-year-old General Jaire Lynch and 18-year-old Jordan Bowers. Both teens admitted to being in possession of a bag of weed and displayed them to the officers. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered one smoked blunt, one non-smoked blunt, and each teen’s bag, which all totaled 75 grams of marijuana. The teens were each charged with felony possession with intent to distribute and are free on pre-trial release.

Man charged with posing as Police Officer to get ‘off-duty’ police job: #NotACop

Seth Mills is charged with two counts of criminal impersonation of a law enforcement officer, after Metro Police discovered he wasn’t really a cop at all, despite using that claim to be hired as an off-duty officer at Walmart. This was discovered as the real police were called as he fought a shoplifter on Monday.