Latest news with #MNPD
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Nashville DA, police under scrutiny for not filing charges after transgender woman was attacked
LGBTQ leaders in Nashville are asking for the Davidson County District Attorney to prosecute a man who struck a transgender woman in the lobby of a Nashville business. (( The Davidson County District Attorney's Office is facing scrutiny for not filing charges after a man struck a transgender woman in the head at a Nashville business in May. Surveillance footage from the office of Extra Space Storage on Charlotte Pike shows 35-year-old Jeremiah Hendricks approaching 27-year-old Tyler Flanagan on May 30 and striking her, causing her sunglasses to fly off of her face. In a statement issued June 9, the Metro Nashville Police Department wrote that 'after discussion with the District Attorney's Office, the MNPD is not placing any charges.' The Metro Nashville Council's LGBTQ Caucus is now calling for the district attorney to complete a 'more thorough analysis' of the case, including whether the case falls under Tennessee's hate crime law. MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron said the department's Specialized Investigations Division, which looks into hate crimes, reviewed the footage. District Attorney General Glenn Funk will review the case early next week upon returning from vacation, according to the LGBTQ Caucus. In the meantime, the caucus stated MNPD must 'recall and restate its press release to reflect the DA's new review and intended actions.' The police statement — details of which Flanagan and her attorney dispute — provides a brief description of the altercation and notes that both parties can choose to privately prosecute the case. Flanagan and a friend reported that former Black Tie Moving employee Hendricks and his coworkers used transphobic and homophobic slurs toward them before the physical attack, according to police. Hendricks, who is Black, and his coworkers accused Flanagan and her friend of using 'racially insulting language,' according to the MNPD statement. Hendricks also said Flanagan threw a milkshake toward him. Surveillance footage shows Flanagan tossing something out of the car, but it's not clear whether Hendricks, who was several feet behind the vehicle, was hit by the cup. Attempts to reach Hendricks for comment were unsuccessful. Civil Rights attorney Abby Rubenfeld, known for filing the lawsuit that led to Tennessee's role in the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States, is representing Flanagan. Rubenfeld said the claim that Flanagan and her friend used racial names toward Hendricks is 'false and unsupported.' She also said the police description of Hendricks striking Flanagan with an 'open hand' is incorrect. 'An unsupported allegation of a drink being thrown and liquid perhaps spilling on an individual is not in any way comparable to a physical assault, a brutal punch to the head of an unsuspecting, vulnerable person, which is what happened here and is documented on video,' Rubenfeld stated. The LGBTQ Caucus also expressed concern at the 'impression that throwing a milkshake at someone is the equivalent of a physical assault.' District attorneys 'have an obligation to look into (a) case to see if a conviction can be obtained,' but they also have authority to screen cases before they get to court to determine which cases are the best use of the office's scarce resources, said Nashville criminal defense attorney David Raybin, speaking generally about the criminal justice system as an attorney who is not representing either party in the case. 'All criminal cases are brought in the name of the state … and the district attorney is the one who brings the charges under the law,' Raybin said. 'The DA has discretion to charge someone or not, even though the victim of an alleged assault may want to bring charges.' Davidson County is one of many that screen cases to avoid overwhelming the courts with cases that may lack sufficient evidence or have legitimate defenses that could impact the likelihood of a conviction, he said. The parties in an assault case can also choose to file a civil lawsuit. Aaron said neither Flanagan nor Hendricks has filed charges independently. Rubenfeld said Flanagan is 'waiting for the DA to bring charges, as they should when there is an obvious, documented, unprovoked assault captured on video.' In a post on Instagram, Flanagan said the attack was 'intentional and came from hate.' 'This is the first time ever in Nashville I've ever felt so unsafe, terrified for my safety in that moment a grown man twice my size fully trying to beat me,' she wrote. Black Tie Moving fired Hendricks after reviewing the incident, which it described in a statement as 'deeply troubling and entirely unacceptable.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
VIDEO: MNPD releases bodycam footage from deadly officer-involved shooting in downtown Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Metro Nashville Police Department released a 911 call and dashboard footage from a deadly-officer involved shooting in downtown Nashville. In a video posted to social media, the MNPD released body camera footage as well as dashboard camera footage and the audio of a 911 call made before the shooting, which happened around 8:45 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Hermitage and Lea Avenues. ORIGINAL STORY | MNPD: Armed man killed by Metro officer in downtown Nashville In the 911 call, a person who described themselves as 'a big Second Amendment advocate' and 'friend of law enforcement' said he saw a man walking along the roadside with a gun in his hand, adding that he 'didn't look well.' The caller said they were on Driftwood Avenue. Following the 911 call, the video included footage from the dashboard camera of an MNPD patrol car. That footage showed the man walking along the side of Hermitage Avenue with a handgun in his left hand. The patrol car followed the man for several blocks. At one point, the patrol car stopped in a turn lane and the officer got out of the car and told the man to put down the handgun. The man did not stop walking and the patrol car continued to follow him until they arrived at the intersection of Hermitage and Lea Avenues. At that point, an officer can be heard outside the car repeatedly telling the man to drop the handgun. The man continued to walk down the street. As seen on video, the man turned around and ran toward the officer — Sergeant Robert Weaver. Weaver fired two shots and the man hit the ground. The MNPD also released Weaver's body camera footage, which showed Weaver get out of his vehicle and tell the man repeatedly to drop the gun. The man spoke in response to Weaver, but the exact words could not be made out on the footage. Once Weaver fired the shots, Weaver reported that shots were fired. ⏩ MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron said the man's fingerprints would be run through a database in an effort to identify him. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Davidson County District Attorney's Office has opened an investigation into the incident. Aaron added that by policy, the MNPD would also conduct a review of the interaction to 'ensure that it meets the high standards' of the department. No further details were immediately released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
MNPD looking into phone data to try to solve 2017 cold case
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In 2017, a woman was found shot and killed inside a vehicle outside an apartment building in South Nashville. To date, no one has been arrested in connection with the crime. MAY 2017 | Woman found shot to death in South Nashville On the morning of May 26, 2017, the MNPD received a call about a dead woman inside a white Kia Soul at an apartment complex in at 455 Swiss Avenue. 'She was seated in the driver's seat and appeared to be shot and was pronounced deceased at the scene,' Christopher Stevick, a Cold Case Unit detective with the MNPD, told News 2. The victim was identified as 31-year-old Vian Ahmed Kasim. For years, no one could be linked to the crime. 'Shooting investigations in general when there's not an immediate motive can be tough,' Stevick said. Kasim's sister told News 2 that Kasim was an entrepreneur and had a phone business, adding that Kasim's passion was singing. She and her family came to the U.S. from Kurdistan in 1993 and she lived in Nashville for six years before her death. 'She seemed to be really active and trying to establish herself and had established herself in Nashville and was pretty driven to be a small business owner,' Stevick said. Stevick said that Kasim was not a resident of the apartment complex near where her body was found, but had a friend who lived there. Stevick told News 2 that no surveillance video was submitted in the case, making it more difficult to solve. However, there have been some investigative leads. 'Some of these leads are leads towards potentially new information. Some of these are leads that point to specific people,' Stevick said. 'There are several of them and that's one of the challenges with these cases.' There is a deep investigation needed for several potential leads, Stevick said. On top of that, three cell phones that belonged to Kasim were found in the vehicle. ⏩ With new technology, the MNPD is now the process of taking another look through phone data. 'Now, we have new technology. It's best practice [that] as new technology emerges and advances, we always want to take another look,' Stevick said. If you have any information regarding the murder, you're asked to call the Cold Case Homicide Unit at MNPDColdCase@ or call 615-74-CRIME. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Taking steps to improve park safety after 2 Madison park shootings in 1 month
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After two different shootings happened in the span of a month in one Madison park, city officials have taken steps to increase safety in the area. Cedar Hill Park, located in the 800 block of Old Hickory Boulevard in Madison, has seen two separate shooting incidents in a matter of weeks, with teens injured in both. At the beginning of the month, a man shot at a Metro Nashville Police Department vehicle and struck a teen girl in the leg. He now faces a federal firearm charge. Then on Memorial Day, two teens were reportedly caught in the crossfire of a second shooting. Both of these incidents had District 3 Councilwoman Jennifer Gamble contacting MNPD on how to make the park safer for residents and visitors. Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More 'Park security — particularly in our greenways and greenspaces in Metro Parks — is very important,' Gamble told News 2. 'And I have had discussions with MNPD and Metro Parks about improving safety, particularly at Cedar Hill Park.' After the shooting at the beginning of the month, Gamble said she reached out to MNPD about increasing patrols in the park and in park shelters, particularly due to reports of drug and other illegal activity happening in the parks. Both the MNPD and Metro Parks agreed to increase patrols in the area prior to the Memorial Day shooting. Additionally, Metro Parks installed a new security gate at the entrance to Cedar Hill Park in March. 'That gate is locked after hours when the park is closed,' Gamble said, noting it was designed to decrease vehicle-related criminal activity in the park after park hours. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → All Metro Parks operate on a dusk-to-dawn schedule, meaning no visitors are supposed to be in the parks after the sun sets each day. Further, Gamble told News 2 there are currently plans in the works to install new cameras in the park. 'Currently, there is a police safety cam situated at the entrance of the park to help prevent or deter crime from happening and also to record it if it does happen so that we can act quickly to address the crime and bring individuals to justice,' Gamble said. Other Cedar Hill Park concerns citizens have brought to Gamble include the integrity of the pavement throughout the park's walking trails and roadways and traffic safety issues. Gamble said speed humps have been installed at the park in recent months to help cut down on speeding inside the park boundaries. Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teen arrested for shooting from car while MNPD helicopter flying overhead
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A teenager was taken into custody Friday night after being accused of firing a rifle from the driver's window of a stolen vehicle, which was being monitored from the air by a Nashville police helicopter with two crew members on board. The Metro Nashville Police Department said Nelson Garcia-Arevalo was arrested last September, when he was 16, for firing a gun at an undercover detective and a police helicopter. After the case was transferred from Juvenile Court to Criminal Court, he was convicted of felony aggravated assault in February 2025 and given a three-year probated sentence. Since Garcia-Arevalo, now 17, already been adjudicated as an adult, authorities said the charges being placed against him on Friday, May 23 — which include two counts of felony reckless endangerment, vehicle theft, and felony evading arrest — will also be filed in adult court. 3 teens, 1 man facing charges following gunfire in East Nashville Meanwhile, two 15-year-olds who were in the car with Garcia-Arevalo are being charged with vehicle theft, unlawful gun possession and evading arrest at Juvenile Court, according to officials. Law enforcement said these arrests are the result of a joint investigation between MNPD Violent Crimes detectives; agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Dickson Police Department detectives following the theft of firearms from a Dickson gun store on Thursday, May 22. Police said the same black Hyundai Elantra that Garcia-Arevalo was driving Friday was used in the Dickson gun store case, adding that the car had been stolen from the Madison area shortly before the burglary. MNPD: 5 charged after fleeing from police in stolen vehicle Authorities said they recovered a rifle and four pistols take during the burglar when they arrested Garcia-Arevalo and the 15-year-olds. In addition, several other stolen guns were reportedly found in a wooded area next to an Edmondson Pike apartment complex. According to officials, an MNPD helicopter monitored the Hyundai's movements for more than an hour Friday, during which time undercover detectives used a spike strip to deflate the tires as it pulled out of the Edmondson Pike apartment complex. Garcia-Arevalo allegedly drove the car on flattened tires for another five minutes before he and the other two teens got out on Amalie Drive and ran into a neighborhood. After detectives flooded the area, they took all three minors into custody. ⏩ Dickson police are set to handle any charges related to the gun store burglary and theft. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
