NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The controversy over Millersville's conspiracy cop, first uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, has now become the latest scandal rocking the tiny town just north of Nashville.
Now, two city commissioners want a special meeting to figure out how Shawn Taylor landed his job as the city's assistant police chief.
At the center of the controversy: Do Millersville residents want a high-ranking police official — with a gun, badge and the power to arrest people — who believes in bizarre conspiracy theories with no real evidence to back them up?
Related story: 'Al Gore, you’re a piece of sh*t!' Meet Millersville's conspiracy cop
"Specifically, we need to examine whether a thorough investigation into his moral character was conducted and whether he underwent and passed a psychological evaluation as mandated," said a letter written by commissioners David Gregory and Cristina Templet.
Taylor — a conspiracy theorist who's appeared on numerous podcasts — is a self-described "gypsy cop" who's had and lost police jobs across the state, sometimes keeping a job for just a few months at a time.
When Gregory and Templet presented their request at Tuesday night's commission meeting, new Police Chief Bryan Morris pushed back.
"I'm struggling with what the outcome of what this is going to be," Morris said.
Gregory replied, "That's what we are going to find out. That's why we are asking for this meeting about."
Morris brought Taylor with him to Millersville earlier this year after they were both fired from the nearby town of Ridgetop.
"We're going to discuss that in an open meeting — that's what I want to do," Gregory told Morris.
The chief shot back, "You want a circus."
"No, I don't want a circus. He started the circus."
Morris claimed that "those podcasts are years old."
"I don't care," Gregory answered. "It was said, and I heard it and the people of this city heard it — and they deserve answers."
The police chief wasn't finished.
"Well, I mean, the people of the city have heard some commissioners say some pretty crazy and outlandish things that weren't true. So should we investigate that too?"
In fact, the podcasts reviewed by NewsChannel 5 Investigates were all in the last 18 months, including one where he accuses the area's district attorney of being on the take.
"The point is, two commissioners asked for a special called meeting and by charter we are allowed to do that," Templet added.
"What is the meeting for?" Chief Morris interjected.
"We've got questions to ask the assistant chief Shawn Taylor, especially after what we saw on NewsChannel 5 last night, presented by Mr. Phil Williams."
Morris rolled his eyes.
"And that goes against what policy?"
Commissioner David Gregory argued that the city attorney's relationship with Taylor is a problem. Bryant Kroll sued Millersville when Taylor was previously fired from there, and he now represents Taylor and the chief in their lawsuit against the town of Ridgetop.
"That's a conflict of interest. I brought it out. Didn't go nowhere," Gregory told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
But, just like Shawn Taylor, Chief Morris refused to answer NewsChannel 5's questions.
"Chief, can we talk to you?" we called out as he left the dais.
"Nope."
"So did you know about all these conspiracy theories? Why won't you talk to us about this, chief?"
"I don't have anything to say to you."
There were also questions from the public about what happened when we tracked down Taylor last week.
Taylor referred to this reporter by my late wife's last name.
Bryant Kroll, the attorney for Millersville and Shawn Taylor, replied to a citizen's question.
"Sir, I can go ahead and comment about the issue of whether there were city resources used to investigate a journalist. That's absolutely untrue."
As for the bizarre conspiracy theories that Taylor has espoused, Millersville Mayor Tommy Long said he's not concerned about Taylor's podcasts.
"He wasn't an employee at that time."
We followed up, "But is that the type of person who should have arrest power in Millersville?"
"I think Shawn Taylor is a very good police officer."
After the call for a special meeting, after conferring with the attorney, he said he would "get back" with the commission about scheduling that meeting.
Part One: Meet Millersville's conspiracy cop. He believes the completely bogus QAnon conspiracy theory that falsely claimed Democrats had kept child sex slaves locked up in the basement of a pizza parlor in Washington, D.C.
He imagines sinister plots involving some of the country's most prominent political figures, including his theory — with no evidence whatsoever — that former Vice President Al Gore was involved in the disappearance and murder of 20-year-old Holly Bobo in 2011.
Taylor recently landed in Millersville as assistant police chief, promising to root out the corruption he sees there.
You can continue reading at this hyperlink.
Part Two: The controversy over Millersville's conspiracy cop, first uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, has now become the latest scandal rocking the tiny town just north of Nashville.
Now, two city commissioners want a special meeting to figure out how Shawn Taylor landed his job as the city's assistant police chief.
At the center of the controversy: Do Millersville residents want a high-ranking police official — with a gun, badge and the power to arrest people — who believes in bizarre conspiracy theories with no real evidence to back them up?
You can continue reading Part Two at this link.
Part Three: An attorney for Millersville conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor has told Millersville's city commission, whom he also represents, that they should not question the assistant police chief's bizarre theories or psychological fitness because his client Shawn Taylor could sue his other client, the city.
The attorney's advice, delivered in an email sent Thursday, responded to a request from two city commissioners for a special meeting to review Taylor's hiring following NewsChannel 5's investigation of the self-described "gypsy cop."
"Interrogating Assistant Chief Taylor about his political viewpoints or political speech will violate his First Amendment rights and thereby expose the City to significant legal liability...," wrote Bryant Kroll.
You can read more of this installment at this link.
Part Four: Anna Caudill agreed to watch the video of Shawn Taylor knowing there might be only so much she could handle.
"So we'll start this," I reassured her, "and then, when you've had enough, you just stop it."
In the podcast video uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, Taylor shared bogus conspiracy theories about Nashville's Covenant School shooting. Now the assistant police chief in Millersville, Taylor was between police jobs at the time he recorded the podcast with two other conspiracy theorists.
For Anna, the mass shooting was personal.
Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend, Katherine Koonce, the school's beloved headmaster who was gunned down as she tried to stop the shooter.
You can read more of Anna's story by tapping on this link.
Part Five: First, he went after Millersville’s former mayor.
Now, the town’s assistant police chief says his two critics on the city commission could be next.
Shawn Taylor, who has become known as Millersville’s conspiracy cop, made those comments as he turned to a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself against questions raised by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
Tap this link to read from those Taylor's accused.
Part Six: Millersville officials are standing with their assistant police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories regarding Nashville's Covenant School shooting.
City Commissioner David Gregory urged his fellow commissioners to demand that Shawn Taylor apologize for a 2023 podcast in which he had questioned the official story. Taylor falsely claimed that video released by police was actually staged.
But the three-member majority ignored Gregory's plea, just as they have refused a recent request by Gregory and Commissioner Cristina Templet for a special meeting of the city commission to discuss Taylor's hiring.
Read how this meeting played out at this link.
Part Seven: Bryant Kroll wears a lot of hats.
He's the attorney representing the embattled City of Millersville. He also represents Mayor Tommy Long, who faces accusations of misconduct in an ouster suit. Plus, he's the personal attorney for Police Chief Bryan Morris and Assistant Police Chief Shawn Taylor, representing them in a lawsuit against the City of Ridgetop.
To understand the role he plays, you can read that here.
Part Eight: In Shawn Taylor's world — in the immortal words of Taylor Swift — "I'm the problem, it's me."
Not his bizarre conspiracy theories — with no evidence — imagining some of the most prominent people in the country are engaged in child sex trafficking.
I explain how we got here in this piece, which you can click on here.
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