A person seated in a car driver's seat, interacting with the camera, with a blurred face for privacy.

A person seated in a car driver's seat, interacting with the camera, with a blurred face for privacy.

 

Newly-released body cam footage of Metro Nashville (MNPD) officer Samuel Johnson pulling over a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle and the ensuing confrontation has been made public.

The video from October 6th, which was released on December 19th, shows Johnson commanding a black SUV to pull over through his external PA system several times as it was reportedly going 85mph in a construction zone posted at 55mph.

When the SUV finally pulls over, Johnson is aggressively met by a man in plain clothes claiming to be a Tennessee Highway Patrolman.  The patrolman tells the officer, “I got the Tennessee House Speaker in the car and we’re moving.”

Johnson is heard asking for the man’s THP ID, to which the patrolman tells him, “Badge number 300” and gets back in the vehicle.

“If you’re gonna run 85mph in a 55mph zone, you need to yield to the police.  I don’t care who you think you are,” Johnson says as he pushes the plain clothes patrolman away from him.

“I am the police!” the patrolman responds.  “Did you not see my blue lights?  Did you run my tag?” he asks.

Johnson replies “I did.  It hadn’t come back yet.”

When asked, “What’s your problem?” the patrolman responds, “I got business to take care of, man.  We got places to go” as the two separate and go back to their respective vehicles.

971012604-mnpd-citizen-complaint Police officer interacting on a highway with parked vehicles and a concrete barrier in the background, captured from a body camera perspective.

The Metro Nashville Police Department has opened an investigation into the incident following “concerns raised by the House Speaker’s chief of staff,” according to WKRN.com.  The department ultimately ruled the stop to be lawful and within department policy.

THP was not as cooperative with media and would not confirm whether or not they were conducting an internal investigation, WKRN reported.  THP’s response was:

The Tennessee Highway Patrol maintains a collaborative working relationship with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department built on mutual respect and shared professionalism, and we’re proud of the work our agencies accomplish together to keep Tennesseans safe.

Speaker Cameron Sexton’s Communications Director told the Tennessean:

“An unfortunate incident occurred due to an overzealous MNPD officer in an unmarked car that jeopardized the safety of Speaker Sexton and THP.  There was no violation of traffic laws by the THP officer pursuant to state law. In today’s climate of political violence, the job of executive protection is more difficult than ever.”

You can read the entire report here:

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