NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — 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.
Not his grotesque accusation that former Vice President Al Gore and a prominent Tennessee banker were involved in the murder of 20-year-old Holly Bobo in West Tennessee in 2011 — again, with zero evidence.
Not his outrageous claims that Nashville's horrific Covenant School shooting was staged and his completely unfounded accusation that one of the victims killed that day was also involved in child sex trafficking.
Yes, Shawn Taylor thinks I am the real problem.
As the Millersville City Commission prepares for a special meeting Friday night to discuss Taylor's hiring, the assistant police chief appeared Wednesday night on another far-right podcast to defend himself.
And to blame me.
"We are not going to have it," Taylor insisted.
"We are supposed to protect the citizens from bullies and from people having their civil rights violated and, by God, that's what we're going to do. And we're not going to stand here and take it from him, of all people. We're not taking it from him."
In Shawn Taylor's mind, his troubles began when I started investigating him.
"Nobody knew who I was. Nobody knew anything about me until Phil Williams came out and started doing these stories."
So what is his problem with my investigation?
"He's already making stuff up," Taylor told the podcasters. "Right now, he's changing the narrative of what I've said and he's putting out things that are not true."
Remember, my investigation has been completely based on Taylor's own words — and the bizarre conspiracy theories that he spreads with zero evidence.
Taylor falsely claimed that NewsChannel 5 has retracted and deleted some of our well-documented reports about him because we realized we had gone too far.
That's a complete figment of his imagination.
But this sworn police officer showed he doesn't really need evidence.
"One of the things I want to send a shout-out to, I don't know who this guy is, and I don't know anything about him," he told the podcasters as he pulled out his phone.
Then, despite his admission to knowing nothing about the person to whom he was giving a "shout-out," he held his phone up to the camera, sharing a tweet from that person.
About me.
The tweet claimed that I was "covering up a Davison [sic] county pedophile ring."
So had the assistant police chief not googled the person to find out that he is well-known in the Nashville area for seriously unstable behavior?
"I've got no idea who he is," Taylor admitted.
"But what I'm saying is: we have people coming to us and giving us information, filling in some of the blanks. So what's happening is, we're getting more information and more information and more information. At some point in time, we are going to have to figure out what's happening, why is this occurring?
"What are people afraid of? All of a sudden, we have people bringing us information. You know, we're going to have to figure out what all of this is."
This week, city commissioners received an email from a Presbyterian minister pleading for them to investigate Taylor's denials of what really happened at Covenant School.
"I write to you today as a concerned pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America, which lost precious members of our flock during the horrendous shooting at the Covenant School in 2023, among whom were children of a colleague," wrote the Rev. Ian Hard, pastor of Christ Church PCA.
He continued:
"It has come to my attention that Assistant Chief Taylor has made slanderous comments regarding the tragic Covenant shooting, claiming footage of the response was staged, and has propagated baseless accusations against the headmaster- suggesting involvement in child trafficking.
"As custodians of justice and guardians of our community's welfare, it is imperative that we address such serious allegations with the utmost urgency and gravity they deserve. These unfounded claims not only sow seeds of doubt and division among citizens but also undermine the trust and integrity of our law enforcement and educational institutions.
"How can future jurors be asked to trust the reports and testimonies of a law enforcement officer who so flagrantly abuses the truth? Recent video recorded and disseminated by News Channel 5 indicates that despite weeks of reporting on this matter, some members of the town leadership have not taken time to investigate what Assistant Chief Taylor has been saying. Please, remedy that.
"As a pastor, I firmly believe in the power of truth and righteousness. It is incumbent upon us, as leaders and stewards of our community, to uphold these values at all times. The dissemination of falsehoods and slander not only tarnishes the reputations of individuals but also erodes the very fabric of our society. Consider how you would feel if someone in government spread falsehood about members of your family, church, or town."
But, in his podcast interview, Shawn Taylor showed no awareness of the harm his words have caused.
The real issue, in his mind, is what he thinks I have done to him.
"There's no way I could go anywhere else in this country and go into law enforcement after what Phil has done."
WATCH: I never dreamed that all of this would happen as a result of my investigation of Millersville, Tennessee's #ConspiracyCop. Attempts to smear me or intimidate me only make me more determined to get to the truth. #StayTuned pic.twitter.com/eYrDvOCAxp
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) May 31, 2024
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Do you have information that would help me with my investigation? Send me your tips: phil.williams@newschannel5.com
Here is how this investigation has unfolded:
May 20, 2024: Meet Millersville's conspiracy cop. He imagines sinister plots involving some of the country's most prominent political figures. 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.
May 22, 2024: The controversy over Millersville's conspiracy cop 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. You can continue reading Part Two at this link.
May 24, 2024: 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. You can read more of this installment at this link.
May 28, 2024: New podcast video, uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, reveals how Shawn Taylor spread false and dangerous conspiracy theories about last year's Covenant School shooting that left three students and three staff members dead. You can click here to review that story.
May 28, 2024: Anna Caudill agreed to watch the video of Shawn Taylor knowing there might be only so much she could handle. Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend, Katherine Koonce. You can read more of Anna's story by tapping on this link.
June 3, 2024: 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 made those comments as he turned to a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself. Tap this link to read from those Taylor's accused.
June 4, 2024: Millersville officials are standing with their assistant police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories regarding Nashville's Covenant School shooting. Read how this meeting played out at this link.
June 5, 2024: 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 attorney for Bryan Morris and Shawn Taylor. To understand the role he plays, you can read that here.
June 6, 2024: In Shawn Taylor's world — in the immortal words of Taylor Swift — "I'm the problem, it's me." I explain how we got here in this piece, which you can click on here.
June 18, 2024: Millersville's conspiracy cop now has his very own conspiracy-minded attorney. Now, our NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that Todd Callender's own theories are sometimes even more far-fetched than Taylor’s twisted view of the world. Click here to read more about Shawn Taylor’s attorney.
July 15, 2024: What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge? Secret recordings from inside the troubled Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer to that question. Read more on this investigation by tapping here.
July 22, 2024: In an explosive new development that could bring new trouble for the already-troubled Millersville Police Department, a key player in a child-predator sting says the lead detective on that operation lied under oath. You can read more about that by clicking here.
July 23, 2024: District Attorney General Robert Nash has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the Millersville Police Department's handling of a child predator sting, including possible perjury by the lead detective. You can read more about that by tapping here.
July 29, 2024: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has expanded its probe of the embattled Millersville Police Department, now looking into allegations that officials may have used sensitive law enforcement data to investigate their political enemies. Read more about that by clicking here.
August 5, 2024: With the Millersville Police Department now the focus of a TBI investigation, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has uncovered new questions about the stories that conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor tells about himself. You can catch up on the investigation by tapping here.
August 12, 2024: In a perplexing pair of podcast interviews, the Millersville chief of police says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has begun limiting his department's access to certain sensitive law enforcement data. Read more about this latest development here.
August 26, 2024: He has helped to fuel some of the wild conspiracy theories inside the troubled Millersville Police Department. He is a self-proclaimed pedophile hunter who believes America is controlled by what he calls "a satanic cult masquerading as Jews." Read more about Craig Sawyer by clicking here.
August 27, 2024: Craig Sawyer’s response to my investigation illustrates how conspiracy theorists frequently use wild accusations and blustery language to avoid giving real answers about their bizarre beliefs. Tap here to watch as we dissect his 90-minute diatribe.
September 4, 2024: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Millersville Police Department and Shawn Taylor’s home, executing a pair of search warrants as the criminal investigation into the troubled agency enters a dramatic new phase. Read more about this new twist in the Millersville investigation.
September 10, 2024: “No, a TBI agent didn't pee in Shawn Taylor's tub, agency says in response to Taylor's latest claim.” The headline says it all. Click here.
September 19, 2024: QAnon-aligned voices of the far right are threatening retaliation against a judge, a district attorney and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents for their roles in the recent Millersville raids. Details posted here.
October 7, 2024: A well-known Arizona election denier says his group — working through Millersville's conspiracy-minded assistant police chief — gained access to a highly confidential federal database that tracks Americans’ banking transactions and other financial data. Read the exclusive story here.
October 22, 2024: Two key GOP lawmakers – the chairman and a member of the state House committee that oversees the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation – recently warned the agency that it could face “unnecessary political fallout” if it does not end its criminal probe into the troubled Millersville Police Department. You can read the letter here.
October 24, 2024: A letter from two GOP lawmakers, which appeared to threaten the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for its probe of the Millersville Police Department, was the "wrong way to go," House Speaker Cameron Sexton said. But there is more to the speaker's reaction.
December 9, 2024: Shawn Taylor, the conspiracy-minded cop now at the center of a criminal investigation, has resigned from his position as assistant chief for the Millersville Police Department after less than a year on the job. Read more here.
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