NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Allegations of fraud and forgery were enough for Solaren CEO Jack Byrd to return to the stand on Friday and explain what he says will now require an investigation.
Byrd hardly sat down before asking Judge Claudia Padfield for a chance to address the court.
Moments later, Byrd told the court he wanted to explain the shocking revelations that ended Thursday’s hearing.
“Yesterday, several pieces of documentation were presented, and their authenticity is in question at this point,” Byrd said.
On Thursday, former Millersville Police Chief and contract trainer for Solaren, Melvin Brown, was handed a stack of training certificates to verify.
Brown acknowledged that his signature appeared at the bottom, but things changed when he realized the form was from 2024 and dated 2022.
“I certainly wouldn’t have filled out 2024 forms in 2022 or 2023, so for me, beyond any doubt, I didn’t fill these forms out,” Brown said.
We watched as Byrd and his attorneys scrambled to understand what had just happened, but Byrd later said he too wanted answers.
“We will pursue this. We are contacting law enforcement today. We’re going to request an investigation. We’ve taken the necessary steps for preservation regarding the RFID door stands, our camera systems, and access to the room. It is beyond me how this happened, but we will find out how and hold them accountable,” Byrd said.
State Attorney Jesse Gentry argued that if these records are in question, then perhaps the credentials Solaren has used to justify armed guards wearing law enforcement patches are also in doubt.
Byrd has been accused of violating state rules by knowingly deploying security guards in "police" patches, but Byrd used much of his testimony to explain what he has done to be more transparent.
This includes hiring compliance officers and creating different versions of his police patch so that more guards feel comfortable wearing what best describes who they are.
"I wanted to be proactive. If you are uncomfortable with the word 'police' because you work for a sheriff’s office or you are retired from a sheriff’s office, by all means, let’s get them a sheriff’s office retired or sheriff’s office patch," Byrd said.
Several former Solaren security guards testified over the course of three days that they did not feel comfortable wearing anything that said "police" but were strongly encouraged to do so.
The POST Commission, which regulates law enforcement in the state, says the law is clear: only full-time POST-certified law enforcement can identify themselves as law enforcement outside their jurisdiction.
Byrd sat down for an interview back in 2023 and told NewsChannel 5 Investigates that he wore “police” patches in Downtown Nashville because, at the time, he was a Millersville Police reserve officer.
He wasn’t a full-time certified cop, but he claimed that the credentials he had were enough for an exemption. Byrd applied similar exemptions for his guards.
POST officials have said this presents a risk to the general public, who may turn to someone in an emergency, only to find they cannot help.
We asked Byrd in that same year if part of the motivation for having guards present themselves as law enforcement was that it was more lucrative.
“It pays more. Let’s talk about the basics. It pays more. The reason why that pays more is that there are obviously some other factors involved in training that person,” Byrd said.
Byrd’s attorney, Josh Lee, asked his client a similar question on Friday, but Byrd said they don't notice much of a difference when it comes to what they're paid.
“There were some allegations that this is the motivation for people to identify themselves in a different capacity for personal gain, but that is factually false because our organization makes the same,” Byrd said.
Byrd stressed that his testimony, his patches, and even his company name have all been about providing transparency. He called out other security companies for wearing similar patches without any complaints, but Byrd said he is more focused on finding clarity regarding state law.
“What are the rules of the game? We want to play the game, but we want to win. Help us win. The only way to win is if we know the rules,” Byrd said.
Attorneys will have until May 7 to submit the rest of their post-hearing briefs before the record is closed. Judge Padfield will then have another 90 days before issuing her ruling.
