NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A two-month internal investigation into allegations against Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake just wrapped up. It found the Chief did nothing wrong.
The bottom line is that the 26-page report by the Metro Police Department's Office of Professional Accountability clears Police Chief John Drake of any wrongdoing related to his relationship with a woman last year and allegations that the chief played a role in the recent arrest of the woman's ex-husband.
This all came to light after the woman took out an order of protection against her ex-husband this past April, telling police that he had been stalking and harassing her.
But when he was arrested, police said he blamed the arrest on a relationship between his ex-wife and Chief Drake, saying, according to the OPA report, "This is all because...The Chief and my wife are having an affair."
Metro Police said because of an allegation "that the arrest only occurred due to potential improper influence, the matter was sent to the OPA for investigation."
But then came the texts.
The woman's ex-husband released screenshots of texts between his ex-wife and the Chief during their three-month relationship last summer. While some are on the spicy side, they are what you might expect between two people in a relationship. And by all accounts, this was a consensual relationship between two consenting adults. The Chief is not married. The woman does not work for the police department.
The woman's ex-husband claimed the texts showed the two were having sexual relations during work hours and that some of the alleged encounters happened at the Metro Police Headquarters on Murfreesboro Road and in Metro vehicles.
The ex-husband's claims led investigators to interview both the woman and the Chief.
According to the OPA report, "She was asked if there was any point where any non-business or intimate meetings occurred during regular business hours or while Drake was on duty, and she replied, 'No.'"
Also, according to the OPA report, the Chief said that he communicated with her on his personal cell phone and there were "never any intimate meetings...on Metro Government property or while on duty."
The Chief also reportedly said he had nothing to do with the woman filing the police report against her ex-husband nor did he have any involvement with the man's arrest or the investigation, prompting internal affairs investigators to find the allegations against the Chief to be "unfounded" and "not sustained."
When asked if the Chief had any comment or reaction to the findings, a Metro Police spokesperson said, Chief Drake is "focused on the operation of the MNPD and the safety of Nashvillians and our guests. He’s moving forward."
