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State Law Doesn't Affect Length of 'Green Mile' Investigations

106 views · Published 11 February 2015 · 2:47 · Indexed 8 October 2026

Channel: FOX NASHVILLE · 2015 · News & Politics

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- What some Metro police officers thought could be the key to ending the Green Mile is a bust. Turns out, there's a state law on the books putting a sort of stop watch on how long it takes to determine the fate of officers stripped of their badges. This would have meant that Metro police officers would no longer be forced to sit for months at a time doing nothing on your dime.

Officers have been passing around the law on Tennessee books. It states that police departments must give an officer a hearing within 14 days. Problem is it doesn't apply to the Metro Police Department. 

Police officers thought they found evidence that Chief Steve Anderson has been breaking the law.

"It looks like this is it but it's not," said Attorney Daphne Davis. "The law doesn't apply to Metro police officers."

Officers accused of wrong doing want answers and they want a quick hearing.

"I was decommissioned in February and didn't have a hearing until September," said an anonymous former officer.

Officers don't want to sit in a lobby doing nothing all day for months, waiting to find out if they can keep their jobs.

"You're telling me it takes 52 days? The evidence is right there," said Shane McCormick, accused of profanity and assigned to the Green Mile. 

According to Tennessee law, police officers who've been demoted or transferred are entitled to a hearing within 14 days. However, in the small print, the state law only applies to police departments without a discipline policy. Metro has a huge policy manual so the state law doesn't apply.

According to MNPD's policies, there is no time limit on how long the chief can keep someone's case on his desk. That means internal investigations can clear an officer of wrong doing and the officer can be kept waiting for answers in the lobby for weeks.

"I have represented several people that waited months for a hearing," said Davis.

Since FOX 17 exposed the chief's Green Mile policy, that keep some decommissioned officers in his lobby, dozens have written us saying the chief keeps them there to punish them. The department denies that. 

The department says new policies can be added but there is a catch. Policies are created internally and approved by the chief.

Since FOX 17 broke this story, the chief moved the Green Mile behind closed doors. Three officers are still assigned to the lobby but sources say no other officers have been added. Officers tell us at some points 12 officers at one time have been in the lobby waiting for answers.

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