- Community Oversight Now Coalition

Files a Complaint with MNPDs Office of Professional Accountability

Against Chief of Police Steve Anderson
For Immediate Release November 17, 2017
For more information, contact 615-375-6094 or nashvillecob@gmail.com

Nashville, TN On November 16, 2017, the Community Oversight Now coalition filed a complaint
with the Metro Nashville Police Departments Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) on
behalf of Sheila Clemmons-Lee and Mark Lee. The Lees are the parents of Jocques
Clemmons, who was killed by Officer Joshua Lippert on February 10, 2017. The complaint
claims that MNPD Chief Steve Anderson improperly prevented the Lee family from bringing
representatives to a negotiated meeting.

The Lee family had been trying to schedule a meeting with the police chief for months.
Finally, on November 9 th , the family and other community representatives (officially called
the Justice for Jocques coalition) went to MNPDs temporary headquarters to request a
meeting with the police chief. After two and a half hours, Assistant Chief J. Damian
Huggins met briefly with Mr. and Mrs. Lee, as well as Theeda Murphy, a close friend and
representative of the family. Asst. Chief Huggins then stated that he would help facilitate a
meeting with Chief Anderson within a week.

On November 13 th , Ms. Murphy contacted Chief Anderson and spoke with his executive
assistant, Ms. Savage, about setting up a meeting. Ms. Savage then proposed several meeting
dates. During the conversation, Ms. Murphy stated that the Lees attorney would like to attend
the meeting.

On November 15 th , Ms. Murphy called Ms. Savage to confirm a meeting on November 21 st ,

one of the proposed dates that had been given. Ms. Murphy advised Ms. Savage that the date
was not suitable for the Lees attorney however, she would attend the meeting. Yet, Ms.
Savage said she was unsure if her attendance was allowable.

Later, that afternoon, Ms. Murphy emailed Ms. Savage to confirm the meeting and stated that
she would attend the meeting per the request of the family. Ms. Murphy, a professionally-
trained behavioral therapist previously employed by MNPD, stated that family requested her
attendance in order to provide emotional support since this was also the first holiday season
without their deceased son. Unfortunately, Chief Anderson denied this request. As a result
Ms. Murphy, at the request of the Lee family, explained that Andersons strict guidelines for
the meeting are unacceptable.

In the OPA complaint, the Community Oversight Now coalition contends that Chief Anderson
has denied the Lee family, principally Sheila Clemmons-Lee and Mark Lee, an emotional
support representative from attending the meeting. Anderson further stated in his
correspondence to the Lees that no representative can attend the meeting in order to avoid a
legally adversarial meeting. However, the email requesting Ms. Murphys attendance at the
meeting specifically references her role as an emotional support representative. The
conditions of the meeting established by Chief Anderson are unacceptable and seem to
represent an abuse of power. The police chief appears intent on isolating a grieving family by
disregarding their emotionally precarious situation and preventing observers from bearing
witness to the police chiefs interaction with the Lees. Thereby, as a remedy to this situation,
we are formally requesting that Chief Anderson allow the Lee family to bring family
representation to the meeting.