MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Authorities decommissioned a Murfreesboro police officer after the department said it was determining whether he used "inappropriate" use of force on a man diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.
The incident happened in June when police were asked to be at a man's workplace where he was being fired. His workplace reported to police he had a history of becoming violent. A run on the suspected man showed a probation violation out of Williamson County. So three officers responded as they decided to arrest him for violating his probation during the middle of his boss firing him, according to the police arrest.
The department started to look into the arrest at the end of August.
The suspect, Chris Zimmer, was sitting in a chair listening to his supervisor when police walked into the room.
"Hey Chris, pull your hands out behind your back man," one officer said.
The situation escalated quickly, according to the body camera footage obtained by NewsChannel 5.
Before Zimmer could move, two different officers flanked him at his elbows. Zimmer is seen shaking.
That is when officers throw Zimmer on the floor on his stomach, nearly hitting his head on the bottom of a lectern.
The officer now decommissioned, Officer Jonathan Fenoy, placed his knee on Zimmer's back.
"Shut up or I will break your f—g arm," Fenoy said on the record. "Do you understand me? Do not move."
Zimmer had no weapons in his hands or his person. The only object police found on him was Zimmer's wallet.
"Are you good if I sit you up?" Fenoy asked. "I will break your arm. Do not resist me."
Police said he had fought the police before, and he "did it again."
"I am not trying to do anything to you," Zimmer said.
Police explained his workplace described him as violent and that is why three officers "bombarded" him. Zimmer replied he wasn't violent. He also explained to police he wasn't aware that there was a warrant out of Williamson County for his arrest.
Police told Zimmerman he couldn't resist officers and resist arrest. They said because he tensed up that it was him resisting the police.
"Of course, I tensed up. I have a traumatic brain injury," Zimmer replied. "What did you expect?"
NewsChannel 5 is trying to contact Fenoy to comment on this situation.
Authorities didn't charge Zimmer with resisting arrest.
"He continued to have muscle spasms/tremors throughout the rest of our encounter," the police report stated. "Officers did not file charges for Resisting arrest and he was placed on a hold at Rutherford County Jail."
Fenoy is currently on desk duty, according to the Murfreesboro Police Department.
Murfreesboro police response
“Officer Jonathan Fenoy of the Murfreesboro Police Department has been decommissioned after an allegation of inappropriate use of force. After becoming aware of concerns regarding the incident on August 26, 2024, an immediate review of body camera footage revealed significant matters of concern. An internal investigation was immediately initiated on Aug. 26 and is in the process of being completed. Officer Fenoy had his police powers removed prior to his next scheduled work shift on Aug. 27, 2024.”
Do you have more information about this story? You can email us at newsroom@newschannel5.com.
I LOVE Forrest's stories on the history of NewsChannel 5 as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. Here's a story I wasn't familiar with until recently. Eudora Boxley had a live cooking show in the early days of the station. She may have been the first black on air at NewsChannel 5 and perhaps, one of the first African Americans to have a TV cooking show anywhere in the country. It wasn't until her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I was able to connect him with Forest to learn more about this great nugget in NewsChannel 5 history.
-Lelan Statom
