NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — From the corner of Bell and Murfreesboro Road, it doesn’t take long to see one near miss after another with pedestrians frantically crossing the road.
Coupled with the constant roar of traffic, this intersection may not seem like a place to find peace.
Sasha Palmer walked this road almost daily in 2023 as a way to cope with the sudden passing of her uncle. Since then, she's returned only once and may never go back after what occurred later that year.
“I used to love walking outside. I would go every day. I don’t walk outside anymore. I have to go to counseling, and I have PTSD,” Palmer said.
We met Palmer at the office of her attorney, Kyle Mothershead, where she talked about the day Metro Nashville Police Department officers detained her only to admit they made a mistake.
The entire ordeal from start to finish lasted no more than 12 minutes, but had it not been for body camera footage from that day, Palmer doubts anyone would have known what happened.
It's video she refuses to watch, even knowing she was never charged with a crime.
“It makes me want to cry every time I talk about it. Even recalling it makes me feel overwhelmed, which is why I don’t watch the video. I don’t want to have a breakdown,” Palmer said.
On November 15, 2023, during one of her daily walks, Palmer witnessed a truck cross multiple lanes of traffic and crash right in front of her.
“Initially, I thought the driver was having a medical emergency, but then they got out of the truck and ran,” Palmer said.
Unsure of what to do, Palmer panicked and ran in the opposite direction. Police were already in pursuit of what they later learned was a juvenile who had stolen the truck, but now they weren't sure if the woman running the other way was also involved.
Officers cornered the juvenile driver, then asked those in the helicopter and reviewing surveillance video whether they had seen a woman exit the vehicle.
“Negative, I did not,” they responded.
Body camera footage from Sergeant Michael Swoner captured radio traffic confirming that no one had seen a female leave the truck. Then, a man driving a white van spoke up, saying, “Your suspect is going to be a heavy-set Black female with an afro.”
By that time, Officer Holly Genualdi had already seen Palmer walking away but thought nothing of it because there were reportedly no other suspects. After Swoner relayed the witness's claim, he directed his fellow officers to detain Palmer.
Body camera footage shows Genualdi rushing back to Palmer, parking in the middle of the street, and stopping her on the sidewalk. She asked Palmer if she was involved in the crash, then detained her within seconds.
Palmer broke down in tears, insisting she had no connection to the suspect who ran from the truck.
“At that point, I’m wondering how I ended up in a situation where it looked like I was about to be blamed for whatever happened. I still didn’t know what had happened,” Palmer said.
Swoner was still down the road speaking to the man in the white van when he asked what side of the truck Palmer exited from. The man responded, “I didn’t see honestly.”
This same witness, who led to Palmer being handcuffed, admitted he did not see how she exited the truck. Swoner, however, did not share this with his fellow officers and continued to suggest Palmer was a suspect.
Some officers expressed skepticism, recalling that they had previously heard over the radio that Palmer should be considered a victim. Yet, Genualdi and fellow officer Charles Agius continued to follow Swoner’s lead and searched Palmer’s belongings.
When officers found Palmer’s legally-owned gun in her bag, she felt the situation was only getting worse.
“I actually thought I was going to jail because they had my items facing being confiscated,” Palmer said.
However, officers in the helicopter insisted that Palmer was not a suspect.
“We have verified she was a pedestrian on the sidewalk. She did not exit the vehicle. She was nearly struck by the vehicle when it ran across the intersection,” they said.
“But I’ve got another witness that pulled up out here that said she came out of the truck," Swoner replied.
After reviewing Swoner's nearly 40-minute body camera video, no one else was seen pointing at Palmer.
In fact, by then we had already established that the only witness admitted he never saw how Palmer left the truck.
“It was really disheartening because if they had seen what happened, they would’ve known I was innocent,” Palmer said.
Swoner eventually arrived where Palmer was detained to apologize and explain how the officers made what they later acknowledged was a mistake.
“Think about it. You’ve got all these police coming over the hill, a truck just crashed, he’s running,” Swoner said.
Palmer believes that had she been a 40-year-old white woman fleeing a similar incident, this conversation might not be happening. She thinks her race made her an easier target.
Palmer filed a lawsuit against MNPD claiming Officers Genauldi, Officer Charles Agius and Sergeant Swoner violated her rights against false arrest and illegal searches.
This was after she filed a complaint with the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), where they ultimately exonerated Genualdi and Agius claiming their search was justified.
Swoner was not part of the OPA investigation and retired last year “in good standing.”
MNPD declined to comment other than to confirm that Genualdi and Agius both remain with the department, before directing us to Metro Legal for a statement.
Metro Legal said their response to the lawsuit could be found in their motion to dismiss, which is still being considered by a judge.
There they stood by the officers for acting on what they knew to be true at the time of the "fast-moving" investigation.
They also argued that none of Palmer's claims about officers violating her constitutional rights have merit.
Palmer said she felt compelled to speak out regardless and prevent others from enduring a similar experience.
“I speak up because it could have been a little girl. It could have been a little boy walking down the street, but instead, it was me. For that reason, I don’t take back what happened to me because I would rather it be me than a child or anyone else experiencing this,” Palmer said.
Have you experienced similar interactions with law enforcement? Share your story with Levi at: levi.ismail@newschannel5.com.
