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In an unexpected move, La Vergne Police Department Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis was dismissed from his position on Monday. 

This termination follows an internal investigation into a series of inappropriate actions by five former officers of the department, including engaging in s*xual activities while on and off duty and forwarding unclothed photos of themselves to fellow officers. 

Despite having participated in the investigation himself, Davis could not escape the consequences of this scandal.

Davis was put on administrative leave Monday morning following notification of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, and he was subsequently dismissed from his position hours later. 

A third-party investigation determined that Davis had knowledge of the s*xual misconduct in his police department but failed to alert officials or enforce discipline against the responsible officers. Furthermore, the report concluded that Davis impeded upon investigations into such misconduct.

Though Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis had taken part in conducting interviews for the internal investigation, the city of La Vergne could no longer excuse his alleged role in fostering an environment that allowed such criticism-worthy behavior to occur without consequence or accountability. 

Such charges led Davis to be placed on administrative leave earlier that morning following notification of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Complaint.

Evidence presented by third-party investigators concluded that Davis was aware of the s*xual misconduct taking place throughout his department but never reported any instances or disciplined those responsible. 

Additionally, this evidence also found that Davis impeded initial investigations into these misdeeds. Mayor Jason Cole expressed deep disappointment saying, “Officers are held to a higher standard, even more so is their chief…We take the health, safety, and well-being of every employee at La Vergne extremely seriously.”

Deputy Chief Brent Hatcher has been appointed Interim Chief while the City begins its nationwide search for a permanent replacement. 

The five former officers remain stripped of their POST certifications and face varying degrees of restrictions from being able to work as officers in Tennessee once again, depending upon whether or not they lied during the investigation into these incidents.

Beyond the firings and suspensions, these shocking allegations of s*xual misconduct have had other far-reaching effects throughout the department. 

From the senior ranks to patrol duty, higher standards of accountability and ethical behavior have been implemented to ensure that “the actions of a few do not represent this department as a whole,” Chief Davis warned back in December during his public condemnation of such embarrassing conduct.

In addition, the City has established mandatory s*xual harassment training for all police personnel and civilian employees in order to raise awareness and foster an environment where such behavior will not be tolerated.  

Overall, officials hope that these measures will create a lasting change while restoring faith in those who serve and protect La Vergne.

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