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Mayor Addresses Ongoing Battle Between D.A. And MNPD

Posted at 7:40 PM, May 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-19 20:41:22-04

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry addressed the ongoing issue of tension between the District Attorney and Metro Nashville Police Chief in the wake of the Jocques Clemmons shooting investigation.

Mayor Barry addressed the issue publicly in a news conference Friday.
 
"I have asked that we stop the war of words, that the district attorney and the Metro Nashville Police Department have engaged in. They need to communicate more and they need to cooperate," said Mayor Barry.
 
Last week, the District Attorney's office held a press conference and announced it would not seek an indictment against Officer Joshua Lippert in the shooting death of Jacques Clemmons. 
 
 
During that conference, D.A. Glenn Funk and members of his staff criticized how the investigation was handled, and how it could be perceived as biased with some of the terminology that was used during the investigation of Metro Police.
 
Not too long after that conference, Police Chief Steve Anderson sent a very harsh letter to General Funk about what was said during the news conference.
 
Mayor Barry said the District Attorney's office should have had a sit down conversation with the Police Chief before releasing its decision during the news conference, and General Funk says he looks forward to having better communication with Metro Police.

"They knew some things that were in the report. We reached out to talk to them about everything that was in the report. We're committed to making sure that we have need better communication going forward," said District Attorney General Glenn Funk.

Mayor Barry discussed some future changes in the Memorandum of Understanding. The TBI, District Attorney's Office, and Metro Police will all be apart of that conversation.