July 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.7

on duty Saint Paul

on duty Saint Paul police officers arrived to take him into custody. The suspect was charged with Aggravated Robbery by the Ramsey County Attorney’s office in relation to this incident. This goes to show that duty and the oath to protect do not have a day off. Saint Paul police officers are always vigilant, whether they’re on duty or off with their families.” Larson was granted a public defender at a court appearance last week and remains in custody in Ramsey County Jail on ,000 bond or ,500 cash bail. Larson’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 15. ‘TARNISHED THE BADGE’: TENNESSEE POLICE CHIEF IN- DICTED ON 17 CHARGES FOL- LOWING RESIGNATION BY Matthew Holloway CHATTANOOGA, TN - Former Chattanooga Chief of Police Celeste Murphy has been indicted on 17 charges, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, just one day after she resigned from the police department. The former chief surrendered at the Hamilton County Jail and was released on a ,000 bond. As reported by WRCB-TV, the Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted Murphy on charges of Illegal Voter Registration, False Entries on Official Registration or Election Documents, False Entries in Governmental Records, Forgery, Perjury, and Official Misconduct. The Tennessean explained that TBI investigators were referred to investigate Murphy by District Attorney General Pro Tem D. 70 The Blues - July ‘24 Michael Dunavant on allegations that she falsified government documents related to her establishing residency in the city, citing a press release from the agency. The initial controversy seems to have begun in March when the City of Chattanooga told the Nashville Fox affiliate, “The city auditor found allegations about Chief Murphy’s residence to be unsubstantiated. We are confident Chief Murphy can meet legal residency requirements and address any issues with her outof-date homestead exemption in Georgia. Mayor Kelly will execute the one-year extension of Chief Murphy’s contract as planned...” Local news outlet WTVC reported that a homestead tax exemption form filed by Murphy listed her legal residence as being in Fulton County, Georgia just a week before she was sworn in as Chief of Police in 2021. Current property tax records in Fulton County still demonstrate that Murphy is still receiving the homestead exemption for her Atlanta home. Subsequent to Murphy’s contract extension, a TBI investigation was launched. At that time Murphy stated in a Facebook post, “A TBI investigation was recently initiated about my place of residence. I will cooperate fully with the TBI investigation. I previously initiated an Internal Affairs investigation concerning the aforementioned inquiry. That IA investigation will now be paused until the TBI investigation is completed...” Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp wrote in a post to X, “Today is a sad day for our community. Those of us who have been entrusted to serve the public have a responsibility to keep that trust. The Chattanooga Police Department is a revered law enforcement agency and I am confident it will thrive again under new leadership.” City Council Chairman Chip Henderson also spoke to reporters Wednesday and applauded Murphy’s decision to resign, “I think since some of the controversy surrounding Chief Murphy had become a distraction, this was the right decision for CPD. The police department will be in good hands with interim Chief Summers until a new Chief can be found.” The Fraternal Order of Police released a statement on the matter, which read, “It is a disappointing day for law enforcement when an Officer or Chief is indicted for acting outside the law and tarnishes the badge we all proudly wear. We appreciate the thorough investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. We will support our interim Chief and will offer our sup-

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