Fri, July 12th 2019, 10:32 AM PDT. The suit says, "The City of Collegedale, through its Administration and the Police Department, has always had performance standards for its police officers to achieve. My colleague tried multiple times to get information on what happened and couldn't get anything from the police department," attorney Robin Flores said. A self-initiated arrest is one that follows an officer-initiated encounter, i.e. Now, those three officers have been terminated with no explanation provided. The lawsuit says Previlus then handcuffed Gilmore and put him in his patrol vehicle. The lawsuit says Gilmore asked the officer why, and complained that he had to stand out in the rain. Officers Kolby Duckett, David Schilling, and David Holloway, like Officer Bedell, first voiced their own concerns about the quota system to City of Collegedale Commissioners. On a daily basis we lead and manage Collegedale, a growing, dynamic and wonderful city. The lawsuit comes in the midst of a $2.4 million federal lawsuit against the city and multiple officials which was filed last month by three officers who were unexpectedly fired in September,. We reached out to the police department for a comment but they have not gotten back to us. Monday, September 20, 2021 Four former officers of the Collegedale Police Department have won a $412,500 settlement from the city of Collegedale, saying they were forced out of the. With the understanding that our citizens are watching how we handle these allegations, I must speak out regarding the integrity of our city leaders and their continued efforts to keep Collegedale one of the best cities in which to live. 39-16-516 by Corporal Bedell who had also voiced his concerns about the legality of the new policy. Westfield stated he advised Long to study traffic stop policy and to "adhere to it if the situation allows." The City also agrees to provide a neutral reference for any potential employers. The police chief at the time, Hickman, resigned in February 2021 following increased scrutiny after a questionable pursuit in a personal vehicle. Attorney Janie Varnell said those officers voluntarily interviewed with the TBI, despite well-founded fears of retaliation. The lawsuit says on January 12th of this year between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. and during a rainstorm, Gilmore was driving with his girlfriend when Officer Sammy Previlus pulled him over for a traffic stop. Collegedale, TN After two years of litigation, the City of Collegedale has reached a settlement surrounding the investigation into the alleged 'quota system' in the Collegedale Police Department. They believe they were fired for cooperating with a TBI investigation against the department. Collegedale City Attorney Sam Elliott also says, Fri, 26 May 2023 07:43:42 GMT (1685087022150), investigation into the quota system was dropped. A separate lawsuit was filed in that matter. In a separate officer's disciplinary file obtained by the Times Free Press, a "supervisor notes entry" documents a discussion about "methods to bring the shift numbers up to par" in August 2015. (READ MORE: Hamilton County district attorney closes investigation into Collegedale Police Department's alleged quota system). The one thing that is very clear is that the city of Collegedale never told anything to my client or provided any details of how to move forward after this happened.". News . Rest assured, we are guiding the city through prosperous and exciting times.". Man, I been at the house. Matthew Colton Gilmore is suing for $100,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages. "Why don't you get out of the car. Subsequently, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the Department and its quota system. "Were you in a wreck today? . The city of Collegedale and reserve officer Sammy Previlus are named in the $300,000 lawsuit filed last week, which alleged the officer assaulted, battered, falsely arrested and unreasonably seized a man named Matthew Gilmore during a January traffic stop. On Sept. 6, officers David Schilling and Kolby Duckett and Cpl. "Tennessee law protects public employees who bring attention to the illegal activities of their employers," said Janie Parks Varnell, attorney for all three officers. Collegedale, TN - On March 10, 2022, Officer Evan Driskill of the Collegedale Police Department effected an arrest of Delane Gordon when Mr. Gordon failed to comply with lawful instructions. "During that same meeting, when Officer Duckett explained how Sgt. A recent lawsuit against the Collegedale Police Department has been dismissed as the city claims the officer named in the complaint was misidentified, something the plaintiff's attorney. Heath specified that there was a monthly requirement of 25 enforcement actions (i.e. The officers are asking back pay and benefits, front pay and benefits, compensatory damages in the amount of $1,200,000 and punitive damages in the amount of $1,200,000. conduct more traffic stops and he would get an upgrade. Collegedale city spokeswoman Bridgett Raper said the city has not yet been served and that it does not comment on pending litigation. "Given Lt. Sapps email in response to officer concerns, Officer Schilling took his concerns to an elected official of the City of Collegedale, Commissioner Ethan White. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. We reached out to the attorney of officers Kolby Duckett, David Schilling and David Holloway. ", "I apologize for that," the officer says. Heath outlined what the Department expected from its patrol officers. As of September 6, 2019, all three officers, including a 17-year veteran and Corporal with the Collegedale Police Department were terminated without cause or explanation and their health insurance immediately terminated. During the conversation, Chief Hickman asked why Officer Duckett went to Commissioner White about the performance standards. Collegedale, TN After two years of litigation, the City of Collegedale has reached a settlement surrounding the investigation into the alleged 'quota system' in the Collegedale Police. Charges against Cruz-Vega are pending until the investigation is finished, Collegedale police say. The Department specifically mandated its officers to achieve 25 traffic citations or self-initiated arrests each month. The following month, in December, the department began directing officers to meet a minimum number of "enforcement activities" and "patrol activities" each month, the lawsuit states. (TNS) Data from the city of Collegedale was leaked this week after the city's computer systems were hacked, a spokesperson said. COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. A Tennessee police department is accused of forcing an officer to resign because he complained about an illegal quota system. According to the lawsuit, Collegedale police were unable to identify the incident or provide a police report on multiple occasions after the night in question, "stonewalling" Gilmore from seeking any redress of the officer's alleged actions. This transparency, coupled with following best practices in the workplace, helps position the city to continually seize opportunities of positive growth. Gilmore's lawsuit claims "The City's refusal to respond to Plaintiff's inquiries about a police report or about payment of his medical bills has the effect to stonewalling Plaintiff from seeking any redress of Previlus' misconduct. The resignation, announced Monday, comes after three police officers were unexpectedly fired. "Officers Duckett, Schilling, and Holloway voluntarily interviewed with the TBI in July and August 2019. It also asks a judge to issue a permanent injunction preventing Collegedale and its administrators from "acting in a similar manner in the future" and another permanent injunction prohibiting the city from instituting another quota system. "Given the track record of Collegedale, we figured we would not be getting any response any time soon. The Department routinely uses upgraded vehicles as rewards to officers who perform well or who excel in their position. On September 20, 2021, the city and the officers made public their mutual settlement for the sum of $412,000 and no admission of fault, . UPDATE (Nov. 8): A . Former police officers Robert Bedell, Kolby Duckett, David Schilling and David Holloway brought lawsuits against Collegedale, former City Manager Ted Rogers and former police Chief Brian Hickman in 2019 following the officers' firings that they believed were connected to them speaking out about an "illegal quota system.". Sign up to our daily newsletter so you don't miss out on the latest events surrounding law enforcement! e-mail: jsapp@collegedaletn.gov. ", He ends his response by saying, "If productivity remains low let me know and we can we can [sic] work on a strategy that will include the documentation on the employees yearly evaluation along with a recommendation of not receiving the yearly step raise.". "A day later, on January 7, 2019, Lt. Jack Sapp sent the Department an email, denying that the Department had initiated an illegal quota system. "We had difficulty even identifying the officer because there was no incident report. Commissioner White didn't have an exact number, but with a force that he says already struggles in manpower, some people are concerned for their city. "On July 3, 2019, Corporal Bedell filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Circuit Court against the Chief, City Manager Ted Rogers, and the City of Collegedale for, among other things, retaliating against him for objecting to the illegal quota system to his chain of command and to an elected official. "On the day of his write-up, Officer Duckett voiced his concerns to an elected official of the City of Collegedale, Commissioner Ethan White. It says a while later, another officer, Jordan Long, opened the door and got Gilmore out and un-cuffed him, saying to Gilmore that Previlus was "in training" and apologized to Gilmore for Previlus' conduct. October 24, 2019 at 8:51 p.m. On Monday, the TBI confirmed with NewsChannel 9 that they are actively investigating it. "On April 18, 2022, 3 former detainees filed a lawsuit claiming they were forced to participate in a known initiation practice in which new detainees are stabbed," said Lad. Thursday, June 24, 2021. This is in direct conflict with the stat sheets on the bulletin board as well as the verbal directives by the Sergeants to the patrol officers. Without hearing a response from Chief Hickman and with the policy going into effect in January 2019, Corporal Holloway felt he had no choice but to take his concerns to City of Collegedale Commissioner Debbie Baker. I'm gonna uncuff you. Flores said the officer's identity could not be confirmed because the city refused to give Gilmore a police report or incident number and was "terse" when the attorney asked for records. The flyer had specific categories for the number of. "I woulda liked to known that before he yanked me up out of the truck," Gilmore says. "From that point forward, the Plaintiffs felt as though they had targets on their back because of their respective conversations with the elected officials of the City of Collegedale. These Plaintiffs provided documentation to the TBI regarding the quota system and how it was implemented and enforced throughout the Department. "In regards to your questions about the apparent lack of a police report associated with the incident, our city attorney advises that the case has been dismissed without prejudice, which means it is possible that it could be revived," Raper said in an email Tuesday. Supervisors within the Department made it clear to patrol officers that enforcement activities meant traffic citations and arrests that stem from traffic citations. The law further prohibits a Department from disciplining an officer solely for failing to meet a predetermined or specified number of traffic citations. Officer Kolby Duckett was mentioned by name in the lawsuit as one of the officers who was disciplined for not achieving the monthly requirements in December 2018. Kolby Duckett, David Schilling and David Holloway are represented by Janie Parks Varnell of the firm of Davis and Hoss. "On their Separation Notice provided by the City of Collegedale the next day, September 7, 2019, the City indicated that the reason for termination was conduct unbecoming of an officer.. Defense Attorney Robin Flores says his client, Matthew Colton Gilmore, made a mistake and says Gilmore is sorry for identifying the wrong man. The police department kept track of the stats and posted them on the wall inside headquarters. This website was designed to provide you with the information you need about the Collegedale Police Department and the services we provide. "On September 6, 2019, Officers Duckett and Schilling and Corporal Holloway were called into conference room next to the City of Collegedale Commission room. Long continues. we submitted a formal request to the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a pattern and practice of misconduct by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.1 . He stressed his fear and concerns that requiring officers to achieve a certain number of traffic citations and arrests that stemmed from traffic stops amounts to an illegal quota. Michael Westfield notes that Long "never identified himself to the driver and never told the driver the reason for the stop," Westfield writes, noting Gilmore only began to resist when he was about to be cuffed. When Gilmore asked why Previlus pulled him over, the lawsuit claims, Gilmore was told his vehicle matched the description of one belonging to a hit-and-run suspect. The lawsuit said that Officer Bedell immediately asked whether the new requirements were legal given that Tennessee law prohibited quotas, and his sergeant said he was unfamiliar with that law. He continues that he is actively looking for the arsonist(s) who have matches and gas cans running around the City desiring to light fires. See Exhibit E, Email from Ted Rogers. In July, Commissioner White called for the TBI to look into the matter, this after a lawsuit was filed by an officer claiming he was forced to resign after challenging the alleged system. COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. Collegedale Police have concluded that an excessive force claim filed against one of its officers is 'unfounded," and that Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. a traffic stop. In addition, they were terminated because they communicated their concerns to elected officials within the City Commission of Collegedale. Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD : traffic stops, arrests, etc. an act Varnell - who also served as their lawyer - described as retaliation for cooperating with the investigation. "Each officer responded in rebuttal to their chain of command. Ducket, Schilling and Holloway all voluntarily interviewed with the TBI, the lawsuit states, and were the only ones who provided agents with evidence that Collegedale was implementing an illegal quota system. Westfield stated that he had been provided a copy of T.C.A. Sunday, October 3, 2021. David Holloway were called into a meeting toward the end of their shift and, within 10 seconds, were told they were all being terminated, the Times Free Press previously reported. If investigations prove these officers were wrongfully terminated, White said there are a few city administrators to hold accountable. "Later on in May 2019, Officers Duckett and Schilling spoke with Lt. Sapp about the atmosphere at work and about some of the issues within the Department. The next day, a Saturday, city administrators issued a separation notice and noted the reason for termination was "conduct unbecoming of an officer," according to the lawsuit. The announcement and official pinning ceremony . the TBI Investigation/Bedell lawsuit. A photo attached to the lawsuit shows a flyer that was posted on a department bulletin board in January 2019, according to the lawsuit. Through filing several open record requests from the department and watching the dashcam video, NewsChannel 9 learned Sammy Previlus was not the responding officer. Indeed, I am personally looking into that on behalf of me and my staff. I ain't hardly understand what was going on, man. Once the TBI Investigation began, these officers were voluntarily interviewed despite well-founded fears of retaliation. Read more at the link here. He further said that Officer Duckett needed to be careful about speaking to the Commissioners in order to try to change things within the Department. Former Officer Bedell's lawsuit has asked the court to reinstate the police officer, award back pay and benefits, as well as $250,000 in compensatory damages, $250,000 in punitive damages, and attorney and court fees. In that meeting between a Lieutenant and his patrol officers, Lt. Sapp affirmed to Officers Duckett and Schilling as the cancer of the department and reiterated that they need to be careful about talking to the Commissioners about their concerns. Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at 423-757-6416 or staylor@timesfreepress.com or on Twitter @_SarahGTaylor. "Following the initiation of the TBI investigation, on July 18, 2019, City Manager Ted Rogers sent an email to the Commissioners, the City Attorney, and Michele Toro regarding various topics within the Department. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. by a Collegedale Police Officer. "On January 4, 2019, Sgt. Thursday, October 24, 2019 Three Collegedale Police Department officers who were terminated on Sept. 6 are suing Collegedale Police Chief Brian Hickman, City Manager Ted Rogers and the. BAKER, DELJARA SAUNJAE November 12, 2019 at 9:40 p.m. Heath had described the monthly enforcement activities requirement, Chief Hickman affirmed that what was being explained was, in fact, a quota, and that officers could not be required to meet those monthly requirements as had been explained. Gilmore said he was then ordered out of the vehicle and to face the vehicle, at which point Previlus "jerked" the plaintiff's arm back and upward, slamming him face down on the pavement, causing face, head, neck and rib injuries as well as damage to his glasses. Three Collegedale, Tennessee, officers who were unexpectedly fired in September filed a $2.4 million federal lawsuit on Thursday against the city, its police chief and city manager.. I know there is pending litigation and a wrongful termination suit but too long here in Collegedale weve swept things under the rug.. The lawsuit was filed November 4th, and has since been dismissed. November 7, 2019 at 10:00 p.m. The suit says the city terminated the officers "in retaliation for exercising their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech, exercising their duties to enforce the laws of the state of Tennessee, communicating with elected officials in the City of Collegedale about their concerns that the City of Collegedale was violating certain Tennessee laws and the constitutional rights of their citizens, and for cooperating with a lawful criminal investigation into the administration of the Collegedale Police Department and the City of Collegedale by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.". Age at Arrest: 45 years old Kepner's resignations. "While Cpl. Collegedale's Acting Chief of Police Jack Sapp was promoted to Chief of Police for the city on Thursday. The email stated that theenforcement activities included verbal and written warnings, not just citations or arrests. Three officers cooperated in that investigation and have now been terminated. A Collegedale, Tennessee police officer tries to drag Delane Gordon, 28, from his car after a traffic stop. "Chief Hickman responded that he would look into it. It goes on to say that when Gilmore complained about the pain, Officer Previlus (again without warning) "slammed Plaintiff face down and out onto the pavement of the trafficway and into the path of other vehicles, which caused pain and fear of injury or death." Heath placed an officer compliment in his Guardian Tracking file. They are asking to be awarded treble damages as well as attorneys fees. "From that point forward, the Plaintiffs felt as though they had targets on their back," the lawsuit states. Therefore, I can assure you that the city does not have a culture of cover-up. Sgt. The bureau has been investigating the allegation since July. Official Facebook page for the Collegedale, Tennessee. In records released to the Times Free Press on Tuesday, Long's account of what took place that night does not match what is seen in dash and body camera footage. Collegedale spokeswoman Bridgett Raper declined to comment on the lawsuit and concerns about the records. Following that lawsuit and amid a subsequent Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe into the system, three additional officers were fired from the force in September, an act Varnell - who also served as their lawyer - described as retaliation for cooperating with the investigation. (READ MORE: Ex-police officer suing city of Collegedale and officials over alleged forced resignation, 'illegal quota system'). He also advised Officer Schilling not to continue to talk to the Commissioners about his concerns with the Department. "On January 6, 2019, after speaking with Corporal Robert Bedell and other officers within the Department, Officer Schilling voiced his concerns about the monthly requirements and whether they amounted to an illegal quota in violation of T.C.A. The commissioners then shared their own concerns with Hickman and City Manager Ted Rogers. Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. "In response, Corporal Holloway took his concerns to Police Chief Brian Hickman. "Upon information and belief, the Plaintiffs are the only officers who were interviewed by the TBI and who provided evidence that was damaging to the City of Collegedale in their interviews prior to a search warrant being executed on the City of Collegedale. 17. Now, they've been terminated. Follow us on social media and be sure to mark us as "See First.". The settlement comes with no admission of fault or liability on the part of Collegedale, ends the two lawsuits and requires the city to provide neutral references for the officers for future employers. But before the ambulance arrives, the second officer, who identifies himself as Long's supervisor, explains to Gilmore that he was pulled over for "investigation purposes" because his truck matched the description of the one involved in the hit-and-run. (Image: WTVC), See the full lawsuit and updates to the story here. They also ranked all of the Collegedale police officers in order based on their citations, arrests, and patrol activities statistics that were collected. There were no termination papers to sign and a human resources representative was not present. We know running the peoples business is a very serious matter. more, A Criminal Court jury took eight minutes to find 49-year-old Jermaine Tarpkin guilty of driving under the influence. We've requested a copy of Assistant Police Chief James Hardeman's resignation letter, and we're working to learn more about his and Sgt. 4549 ALABAMA AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37409 Corporal Holloway told Commissioner Baker about the new policy, about his fear of an illegal quota, and about his concerns of requiring officers to conduct traffic stops on citizens in an illegal quota system. In November 2018, Holloway shared concerns with Heath and Lt. Jack Sapp that the department was instituting what he called an illegal quota system, Thursday's lawsuit states. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Three Collegedale Police Department officers who were terminated on Sept. 6 are suing Collegedale Police Chief Brian Hickman, City Manager Ted Rogers and the city of Collegedale in Federal Court. He says he was told there was no incident report filed, and that a person with the Collegedale Police Department who answered the phone expressed puzzlement at that. Included in that email is a long statement about what Rogers calls the Current Situation, i.e. Not long after first speaking with commissioners in January, Duckett was called into Hickman's office and asked why he spoke to White about the department's performance standards, according to the lawsuits. A "watch list" is a list of houses that are under surveillance either for suspicious activity or because the resident asked for police to check on it while they were out of town. My client began looking at alternate ways of identifying the officer," Attorney Robin Flores said Tuesday. 18. The Chief further told them that their health insurance coverage through the City of Collegedale would terminate as of September 6, 2019 despite premiums being paid through the month of September. Wed, July 10th 2019, 3:08 PM PDT A former Collegedale Police officer is suing police and the city, saying he was forced to resign after complaining about an "illegal quota system." (Image:. Hickman told Duckett he "needed to be careful about what he said to the Commissioners," the lawsuit states. The Plaintiffs have also agreed to separately dismiss their claims against the former City Manager Ted Rogers and Police Chief Brian Hickman in line with the settlement. With an open mind and possessing the ability to be forward thinking, our group is enthused about the future of Collegedale. That emergency meeting has been moved to Monday the 16th, after White said Mayor Lamb refused to hold it on the 9th, citing advice from the city attorney that we will not have time to properly notify the public. If officers achieved their set numbers, they would be more likely to be considered for promotions, newer patrol cars or extra training opportunities. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:52:19 GMT (1685721139744). That investigation is whether Collegedale Police Department use an illegal 'quota' system. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. "On January 8, 2019, following his conversation with Commissioner White on January 4th, Officer Duckett was called into Chief Brian Hickmans office while on duty. Collegedale Police Department. According to a letter D.A. He further stated that as of January 8, 2019, the enforcement activities requirement was no longer in effect. Lastly, he stated that the Department would review the process and develop performance standards that take into consideration enforcement activities as one of the many factors upon which officers will be evaluated. See Exhibit D, Email from Chief Hickman. That alleged misconduct was not clarified. By Jan. 10 of this year, former city policeman Robert Bedell claims he was forced to resign just days after confronting supervisors over what he called a quota system. However, the stats flyer posted on the police departments wall did not include numbers for those activities in the counts used to determine rankings, the Times Free Press reported. On behalf of the Plaintiffs, Attorney Janie Parks Varnell says. A quota system that required every Collegedale police officer to get a minimum of 25 citations or arrests per month, and document at least 100 patrol activities in that same time, was launched by the police department in December of 2018, according to a lawsuit filed by former Collegedale Police Officer Robert Bedell, the Times Free Press reported. Chief Hickman gave Corporal Bedell the option to resign in order to keep his POST certification. Without a POST certification, Officer Bedell would not be able to work in law enforcement.. September 21, 2021 at 6:43 p.m. "On January 3, 2019, Officer Kolby Duckett participated in a meeting with his supervisor, Sgt. Hero Down: 36-Year-Old Roseville Officer Cameron Cam Landon Dies In His Sleep. Two of those points stated that officers were required to "stop vehicles at any time, whether the violation is big or small" and to "not issue Verbal Warnings, and to issue Written Warnings as a minimum. What happened in the dashcam video sparked a lawsuit claiming excessive force. Officer Duckett informed Commissioner White of his fear that the monthly enforcement activity requirements amounted to an illegal quota in violation of Tennessee law. ", The fired officers' attorneys argue that the email is "a direct admission by the City Manager that he was trying to identify those who would speak out against the City of Collegedale and his plans to extinguish them.". ", "You ain't hit nobody?" Heath wrote Officer Duckett up for failing to complete and/or submit the minimum standard requirements for Enforcement and Patrol activities during the month of December 2018. AGGRAVATED more, A Celebration of Life service will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Brentwood United Methodist Church for Marshall Scott Martin, 58, who died after a bicycle accident during the Chattanooga Ironman. Three days after that, on Jan. 7, Chief Hickman told Officer Bedell he needed to talk to him when he arrived for work, according to the lawsuit. "The plaintiffs are very pleased with this resolution. Pinkston sent to the TBI back in 2020, "it appears in 2018 the Collegedale Police Department attempted to adopt performance guidelines based upon numbers of arrests, number of citations issued and other patrol activities for their police department." According to the lawsuit, Gilmore and his girlfriend were driving during a rainstorm when Previlus pulled him over for a traffic stop. "Although the city maintains its actions were lawful, this settlement will allow Collegedale to remove the distraction of the lawsuit so that it can focus on the needs of its citizens," he said. Chief Jack Sapp. Sgt. if an officer responds to the Wal-Mart on a shoplifting, investigates and then makes an arrest or a domestic violence in which a member of the public calls 911 and an officer is dispatched. Chief Hickman further stated that if Officer Bedell agreed to resign, the Department would not seek to revoke his Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification, the lawsuit said. An ambulance is called anyway. "What have I done, man? But what did not count toward "enforcement activities," according to the lawsuit, were arrests that resulted from 911 calls. Gilmore's attorney Robin Flores filed to dismiss the lawsuit on Friday, after records previously unreleased by the city showed the officer involved in the incident was not Previlus, but former Collegedale Police Department Officer Jordan Long. Officer Schilling served as an officer for the Collegedale Police Department since February 2014 until his termination. All rights reserved. Enforcement activities were defined on the Stat Sheets as written citations (known to officers as D7/D8) or self- initiatedarrests (D9). Gilmore claims the next day, he called the Collegedale Police Department to get a copy of the incident report involving him. "In February 2019, the January rankings came out and were posted on the bulletin board. And administrators "may not require or suggest" to officers that they are required to issue a specific number of traffic citations within a certain period. This is just another example of the City of Collegedale, Chief Brian Hickman and City Manager Ted Rogers terminating skilled officers simply because those officers brought attention to the illegal quota system implemented by the Department. At that moment, the lawsuit claims Officer Previlus without warning "grabbed Plaintiff (Gilmore) by the arm, and jerked his arm behind Plaintiff's back and in an upward motion that caused Plaintiff pain." He also noted that Long said he "learned from his mistakes and will work on correcting the issue at hand.". The police department since has seen turnover in its leadership. The spokesperson with the Collegedale Police Department said this is an open investigation and they are working on a statement in the coming days. Heath wrote Corporal Holloway up for failing to achieve those monthly requirements. He warned Chief Hickman that if they continued to initiate this policy, it would be illegal and the Department may get into trouble for it. On September 20th, 2021, the City of Collegedale and the officers announced that they have mutually agreed to settle and resolve all of their claims to their mutual satisfaction. NewsChannel 9 has confirmed that Collegedale Assistant Police Chief James Hardeman has resigned, according to public information officer Bridgett Raper. A recent lawsuit against the Collegedale Police Department has been dismissed as the city claims the officer named in the complaint was misidentified, something the plaintiff's attorney says couldn't previously be verified because the city refused to give his client a police report. NewsChannel 9 has confirmed that Collegedale Assistant. We just didn't know what was going on.". Local governments are prohibited from establishing "formally or informally, a plan to evaluate, promote, compensate, or discipline a law enforcement officer" based on a predetermined number of traffic citations. 39-16-516 strictly prohibits a political agency of the state from requiring an officer to issue a predetermined number of any type or combination of types of traffic citations within a specified period. "What was once an 'unspoken rule' about the emphasis on traffic stops and arrests that stemmed from traffic stops became a department directive in or around December 2018," the lawsuit states. According to previous reports by the Times Free Press, in July 2019 Bedell brought a suit against the city of Collegedale alleging he had been forced to resign in January of that year after he confronted his supervisors about a quota system. "Get out the car.". For example, if an officer responded to a reported domestic violence incident and made an arrest, that arrest would not count. Chief Hickman refused to tell Officer Bedell who had conducted the investigation that led to his termination, according to the lawsuit. Documents obtained by the Times Free Press revealed the last entry in each officer's disciplinary file - which is separate from their personnel file - shows a lengthy reprimand for allegedly not regularly checking on houses that were on the department's "watch list," something police Sgt.

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