TBI agents search Millersville police station, home of a “conspiracy cop”

First part: Meet Millersville's conspiracy cop, a believer in the completely false QAnon conspiracy theory that falsely claims Democrats have child sex slaves locked up in the basement of a Washington, DC pizza parlor.

He envisions sinister conspiracies involving some of the country's most prominent politicians, including his theory — without any evidence — that former Vice President Al Gore was involved in the disappearance and murder of 20-year-old Holly Bobo in 2011.

Taylor recently landed as deputy police chief in Millersville and has promised to eradicate the corruption he sees there.

You can read more at this hyperlink.

Bob Stinnett/WTVF

Part Two: The controversy surrounding Millersville’s conspiracy cop, first uncovered by NewsChannel 5 investigates is the latest scandal to rock the small town north of Nashville.

Now two city commissioners want to call a special meeting to find out how Shawn Taylor got the job as the city's deputy police chief.

At the center of the controversy: Do the residents of Millersville want a high-ranking police officer – with a gun, a badge and the power to arrest people – who believes in bizarre conspiracy theories for which there is no real evidence?

You can read part two at this link.

Ismail, Levi

Part Three: A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Millersville police officer Shawn Taylor has told the Millersville City Commission, which he also represents, that they should not question the deputy police chief's bizarre theories and mental competency because his client Shawn Taylor could sue his other client, the city.

With his advice, sent by email on Thursday, the lawyer responded to a request from two city councilors for a special meeting to review Taylor's hiring following NewsChannel 5's investigation into the self-proclaimed “gypsy cop.”

“Questioning Assistant Chief Taylor about his political views or political speech would be a violation of his First Amendment rights and would expose the City to significant legal liability…” Bryant Kroll wrote.

You can read the rest of the article at this link.

Phil Williams/WTVF

Part four: Anna Caudill agreed to watch Shawn Taylor's video, knowing full well that she might not be able to bear it all anymore.

“So, we'll start with that,” I reassured her, “and then when you've had enough, you just stop.”

Revealed in podcast video by NewsChannel 5 investigates Taylor spread false conspiracy theories about the shooting at Nashville's Covenant School. Taylor, who is now deputy police chief in Millersville, was out of a police job at the time the podcast was recorded with two other conspiracy theorists.

For Anna, the mass murder was a personal matter.

Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend Katherine Koonce, the school's popular principal, who was gunned down as she tried to stop the gunman.

You can read more of Anna's story by tapping this link.

Bryan Staples/WTVF

Part five: First, he took on the former mayor of Millersville.

Now the city's deputy police chief says his two critics on the city commission could be next.

Shawn Taylor, who has become known as Millersville’s conspiracy cop, made these comments when he addressed a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself against questions raised by NewsChannel 5 investigates.

Tap this link to read Taylor's defendants' information.

Bryan Staples/WTVF

Part Six: Millersville officials are standing behind their deputy police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories about the shooting at Nashville's Covenant School.

City Commissioner David Gregory urged his colleagues to demand an apology from Shawn Taylor for a 2023 podcast in which he questioned the official version. Taylor falsely claimed that the video released by police was in fact staged.

But the three-member majority ignored Gregory's request, just as it had rejected a recent request from Gregory and Commissioner Cristina Templet for a special City Commission meeting to discuss Taylor's hiring.

You can read how this meeting went at this link.

Bryan Staples/WTVF

Part Seven: Bryant Kroll wears many hats.

He is the attorney representing the embattled town of Millersville. He also represents Mayor Tommy Long, who is facing misconduct charges in an impeachment inquiry. He is also the personal attorney for Police Chief Bryan Morris and Deputy Police Chief Shawn Taylor, and is representing them in a lawsuit against the town of Ridgetop.

To understand what role he plays, you can read this.

Screen recording

Part Eight: In Shawn Taylor's world, to quote Taylor Swift's immortal words, “I am the problem, I am it.”

Not his bizarre conspiracy theories – for which there is no evidence whatsoever – that some of the country's most prominent figures are involved in child sex trafficking.

I explain how we got here in this post, which you can click here.

on facebook.

Part Nine: What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge?

Secret recordings from inside the crisis-ridden Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer to this question.

These recordings – taken as part of an undercover operation to catch sex offenders who abuse innocent children – show that conspiracy-theory-oriented Millersville police officers may have overstepped the boundaries of the legal in their zeal to build big cases.

Tap here to learn more about this study.

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Part Ten: In an explosive new development that could cause new trouble for the already beleaguered Millersville Police Department, a key figure in an operation targeting child molesters is claiming that the lead investigator in the operation lied under oath.

These latest questions follow the revelation of secret recordings from the child molester operation obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates in May. Our investigation found that those recordings do not match the investigator's sworn testimony in the case.

You can find out more here.

WTVF, FILE photo

Part Eleven: District Attorney Robert Nash has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the conduct of Millersville police during a raid on a child molester, including possible perjury by the lead investigator.

In a telephone interview, Nash said he was also personally reviewing the case that resulted from that operation in May.

You can find out more here.

City of Millersville

Part twelve: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has expanded its investigation into the controversial Millersville Police Department and is now looking into allegations that officers may have used confidential law enforcement data to investigate their political opponents.

Sources told NewsChannel 5 investigates that TBI agents began interviewing potential victims last week, and that Gallatin District Attorney Ray Whitley confirmed Monday that he had authorized the investigation into the possible data breach.

Tap here to learn more.

Part Thirteen: With Millersville Police now the focus of a TBI investigation, NewsChannel 5 investigates has raised new questions about the stories conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor tells about himself.

These new questions include stories Taylor tells about his previous jobs, stories about retaliation he allegedly faced, and stories that raise further questions about whether Taylor should own a gun and a badge.

You can stay updated on the investigation by tapping here.