Nashville police chief announces retirement after calls for resignation

Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson announced Thursday that he will retire after more than a dozen city council members called for Mayor John Cooper (D) to fire him.

Anderson has been a frequent target of criticism from local activists for his handling of both the recent protests that erupted after the death of George Floyd and his handling of two high-profile police shootings of black men in 2017 and 2018, The Associated Press reported. Then-Nashville officer Josh Lippert fatally shot Jocques Clemmons following a traffic stop and chase in February 2017, with prosecutors eventually determining he only fired after he saw Clemmons had a gun.

In July 2018, meanwhile, Officer Andrew Delke shot Daniel Hambrick from behind as Hambrick ran from him. District Attorney General Glenn Funk has charged him with first-degree murder, but legal proceedings have been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Calls for the chief’s resignation grew louder in June after police issued arrested warrants for local activists Jeneisha Harris and Justin Jones, initially charging them with rioting and accusing them of damaging a police car by walking on it, but police recalled the warrants three hours later after reviewing “additional information,” according to the AP.

At least 15 Nashville Metro Council members signed a resolution last week calling for Anderson’s resignation in furtherance of “meaningful policy and behavioral change,” adding “[i]n order for police practices to change in Nashville and in order to build trust between the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and communities of color in Nashville, a change in leadership is essential.”

Anderson has held the job since 2010, and Mayor John Cooper (D) said it had always been his intent to retire after 10 years.

“It would be super, of course, to have an African American chief in Nashville, but they need to understand that they are being picked because they are the best chief,” Cooper said, according to the AP. He added that the police department will also review its use of force policies with a public commission.