NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Millersville Police Chief Bryan Morris continues to downplay his assistant chief's own words mocking the official story of Nashville's Covenant School shooting and suggesting that one of the victims was actually a villain.
Morris' on-going denials of the facts follow NewsChannel 5's recent discovery of Shawn Taylor's appearance last year with two well-known QAnon conspiracy theorists in a podcast titled: "Debunking the Nashville shooting."
Taylor was hired as the number-two police official in the community just north of Nashville about a year after the podcast interview.
This week, Millersville City Commissioner David Gregory continued to push for Taylor to apologize to the Covenant families for his "reckless, insane ramblings."
Gregory also questioned whether Morris, who also serves as acting city manager, had known about Taylor's bizarre conspiracies regarding the tragic shooting that killed three children and three staff members in March 2023.
Watch the exchange in the video player above
"Did you know about these sayings on podcasts — what he said on Covenant school — before you hired him?" Gregory asked Morris.
The police chief and acting city manager shot back, "What I would like to ask you is have you watched it in its entirety? Have you watched that podcast in its entirety, yes or no?"
"Yeah," Gregory answered.
Morris continued, "And you still stand by the fact that he said that that never happened?"
"What never happened?"
"Covenant. That's not what he said at all, not even close."
As NewsChannel 5 Investigates first reported, in the podcast video, "Shawn Taylor cannot seem to decide which ridiculous idea he likes more."
Taylor's words have drawn condemnation from the Covenant community. And experts say Taylor's conspiracy theories raise questions about his fitness to carry a gun and a badge, with power to arrest people in his community.
But Morris and a majority of the Millersville City Commission have declined to criticize the assistant police chief.
Below are Shawn Taylor's own words — words that, Chief Morris suggests, are no big deal.
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Shawn Taylor falsely claims that Metro Nashville police "had did a training and simulation at that school the week previous."
For Taylor's fellow conspiracy theorists, that was a significant discovery — and a potential connection to other school shootings that they also believe to have been faked.
In fact, that's a lie. Metro Nashville police had NOT previously trained at Covenant.
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Shawn Taylor falsely claims that headmaster Katherine Koonce was part of a child trafficking "ring." That is a lie!
Police say there was no such investigation nor any evidence of wrongdoing.
In fact, they say Koonce died a hero's death trying to save the children under her care.
***
Shawn Taylor falsely suggests that the police bodycam video, showing officers rushing into Covenant, may have been staged.
As part of their conspiracy theory, Taylor and his fellow conspiracy theorists argue that school employees guiding police to the shooter were not showing any fear.
In fact, the video is real, and multiple witnesses have corroborated the story told in the video from that horrific day.
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Shawn Taylor falsely argues the Covenant shooting may have been a "diversion" to cover up for something else.
Michael Jaco insists that he doesn't think the Covenant School shooting is real, and Shawn Taylor nods along and provides what he says may be evidence to back up Jaco's claims.
He suggests it may have been a diversion to cover up misdeeds by Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk or Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
In fact, there is ZERO evidence that the Covenant shooting was anything other than what police have said.
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Shawn Taylor bizarrely claimed there was a connection between the Covenant shooting and a political fundraiser for the House Freedom Fund.
That fundraiser was two weeks later.
According to an invitation shown by Taylor, the special guests included Republican members of Congress Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, as well as Mark Green and Andy Ogles of Tennessee.
Taylor suggested the connection was Nashville Republican donor Lee Beaman, who had faced allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from a previous marriage.
"This has everything to do with this shooting," Taylor insisted.
In fact, it has NOTHING to do with the shooting.
***
Shawn Taylor falsely suggests that a patrol car hit by gunfire may not have actually been hit by gunshots at Covenant School itself.
Bizarrely, Taylor claims that Green Hills, the part of town where Covenant is located, "is a small area" compacted with tall buildings.
He adds, "You are going to hear that throughout the city of Green Hills."
In fact, Covenant is located on a hill, not surrounded by tall buildings — and Green Hills is a sprawling area known for its bumper-to-bumper traffic.
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Shawn Taylor agrees there was something suspicious about Metro police releasing the names of the officers who ended the school shooting. There's not!
In fact, Nashville police routinely release the names of officers involved in shootings, sometimes within an hour or two of the events.
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Shawn Taylor bizarrely claims Green Hills is the perfect place to stage an incident where one can "control everything around the scene."
Again, the shooter is the only one who chose the location for the violent rampage.
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Shawn Taylor lies and says gun protests at the state Capitol in the days after the Covenant shooting were part of a "transgender" effort.
The protests were coordinated by groups with a well-documented history of activism on the issue of gun violence — and ZERO connection to gender issues.
Here is how this investigation has unfolded:
May 20, 2024: Meet Millersville's conspiracy cop. He imagines sinister plots involving some of the country's most prominent political figures. Taylor recently landed in Millersville as assistant police chief, promising to root out the corruption he sees there. You can continue reading at this hyperlink.
May 22, 2024: The controversy over Millersville's conspiracy cop has now become the latest scandal rocking the tiny town just north of Nashville. Now, two city commissioners want a special meeting to figure out how Shawn Taylor landed his job.
You can continue reading Part Two at this link.
May 24, 2024: An attorney for Millersville conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor has told Millersville's city commission, whom he also represents, that they should not question the assistant police chief's bizarre theories or psychological fitness.
You can read more of this installment at this link.
May 28, 2024: New podcast video, uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, reveals how Shawn Taylor spread false and dangerous conspiracy theories about last year's Covenant School shooting that left three students and three staff members dead. You can click here to review that story.
May 28, 2024: Anna Caudill agreed to watch the video of Shawn Taylor knowing there might be only so much she could handle. Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend, Katherine Koonce. You can read more of Anna's story by tapping on this link.
June 3, 2024: First, he went after Millersville’s former mayor. Now, the town’s assistant police chief says his two critics on the city commission could be next. Shawn Taylor made those comments as he turned to a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself. Tap this link to read from those Taylor's accused.
June 4, 2024: Millersville officials are standing with their assistant police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories regarding Nashville's Covenant School shooting. Read how this meeting played out at this link.
June 5, 2024: Bryant Kroll wears a lot of hats. He's the attorney representing the embattled City of Millersville. He also represents Mayor Tommy Long, who faces accusations of misconduct in an ouster suit. Plus, he's the attorney for Bryan Morris and Shawn Taylor. To understand the role he plays, you can read that here.
June 6, 2024: In Shawn Taylor's world — in the immortal words of Taylor Swift — "I'm the problem, it's me." I explain how we got here in this piece, which you can click on here.
June 18, 2024: Millersville's conspiracy cop now has his very own conspiracy-minded attorney. Now, our NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that Todd Callender's own theories are sometimes even more far-fetched than Taylor’s twisted view of the world. Click here to read more about Shawn Taylor’s attorney.
July 15, 2024: What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge? Secret recordings from inside the troubled Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer to that question.
Read more on this investigation by tapping here.
July 22, 2024: In an explosive new development that could bring new trouble for the already-troubled Millersville Police Department, a key player in a child-predator sting says the lead detective on that operation lied under oath.
You can read more about that by clicking here.
July 23, 2024: District Attorney General Robert Nash has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the Millersville Police Department's handling of a child predator sting, including possible perjury by the lead detective. You can read more about that by tapping here.
July 29, 2024: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has expanded its probe of the embattled Millersville Police Department, now looking into allegations that officials may have used sensitive law enforcement data to investigate their political enemies. Read more about that by clicking here.
August 5, 2024: With the Millersville Police Department now the focus of a TBI investigation, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has uncovered new questions about the stories that conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor tells about himself.
You can catch up on the investigation by tapping here.
August 12, 2024: In a perplexing pair of podcast interviews, the Millersville chief of police says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has begun limiting his department's access to certain sensitive law enforcement data. Read more about this latest development here.
August 26, 2024: He has helped to fuel some of the wild conspiracy theories inside the troubled Millersville Police Department. He is a self-proclaimed pedophile hunter who believes America is controlled by what he calls "a satanic cult masquerading as Jews." Read more about Craig Sawyer by clicking here.
August 27, 2024: Craig Sawyer’s response to my investigation illustrates how conspiracy theorists frequently use wild accusations and blustery language to avoid giving real answers about their bizarre beliefs. Tap here to watch as we dissect his 90-minute diatribe.
September 4, 2024: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Millersville Police Department and Shawn Taylor’s home, executing a pair of search warrants as the criminal investigation into the troubled agency enters a dramatic new phase. Read more about this new twist in the Millersville investigation.
September 10, 2024: “No, a TBI agent didn't pee in Shawn Taylor's tub, agency says in response to Taylor's latest claim.” The headline says it all. Click here.
September 19, 2024: QAnon-aligned voices of the far right are threatening retaliation against a judge, a district attorney and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents for their roles in the recent Millersville raids. Details posted here.
October 7, 2024: A well-known Arizona election denier says his group — working through Millersville's conspiracy-minded assistant police chief — gained access to a highly confidential federal database that tracks Americans’ banking transactions and other financial data. Read the exclusive story here.
October 22, 2024: Two key GOP lawmakers – the chairman and a member of the state House committee that oversees the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation – recently warned the agency that it could face “unnecessary political fallout” if it does not end its criminal probe into the troubled Millersville Police Department. You can read the letter here.
October 24, 2024: A letter from two GOP lawmakers, which appeared to threaten the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for its probe of the Millersville Police Department, was the "wrong way to go," House Speaker Cameron Sexton said. But there is more to the speaker's reaction.
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