The Davidson County grand jury in late March 2025 recommended a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate possible criminal and civil violations of law at the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The grand jury read whistleblower complaints and heard from some retired and current officers about allegations of sexual misconduct, corruption and favoritism at the department, according to a report authored by the grand jury and filed with the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office on March 26.
“We feel that there is evidence of criminal and civil violations which should be meticulously investigated,” the report states.
The group said it was conducting its own investigation into the bombshell whistleblower complaint against MNPD that became public in summer 2024. The group felt doing so was incumbent upon them after months of little updates into the city’s independent investigation of the complaint.
MNPD had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
The grand jury foreperson was Theeda Murphy, a community organizer and advocate for more oversight of the criminal legal system. Murphy said that her job did not have anything to do with this investigation and that she was just on jury duty like the rest of the jurors.
A grand jury is a panel of citizens who decide whether there is “probable cause” someone committed a crime and should be tried by a trial jury. In addition to hearing cases brought to it by the district attorney, the grand jury has broad powers to look into possible criminal offenses brought to its attention by one of its members.
The group interviewed retired Det. Greta McClain, the founder and director of Silent No Longer TN, which provides resources to sexual assault victims and survivors, and retired Cpt. Dhana Jones, former director of MNPD’s Youth Services Division. In addition, the group heard from other officers and read a second whistleblower complaint, the report states.
McClain gave a statement concerning “unaddressed” issues of sexual misconduct at MNPD, according to the report. Jones alleged she had been retaliated against when she fell out of favor with the department’s brass, the report states.
More: Nashville Review Board claims Tennessee agents raided law firm investigating cop complaint
The unnamed officers, according to the report, also said they had been retaliated against for falling out of favor with supervisors. The unnamed officers raised other allegations including that supervisors had interfered in internal investigations and that the department had policies in place that had artificially inflated call response times.
“We feel that these complaints coming from multiple sources and basically saying the same things are strong evidence of a serious problem within MNPD which is not being recognized or addressed,” the report states.
The group commended the department’s adoption of a new sexual misconduct policy, which it said if fully implemented “will go far toward protecting officers and the public from harassment and assaults.” However, it argued that more should be done to protect any past victims of sexual misconduct.
The Nashville District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
Grand Jury 2025 MNPD Report by USA TODAY Network on Scribd
Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville grand jury calls on DA to investigate MNPD issues