by A Tennessee police department was in crisis Tuesday following allegations that at least five of its male officers had sex with a female officer both on and off the job.
So far, five officers have been fired and three more have been suspended without pay as officials in the Nashville suburb of La Vergne investigate allegations against the 60-person police department, Mayor Jason Cole said.
“This situation is unacceptable and as soon as it was brought to our attention, it was immediately investigated and action was taken against the individuals involved,” Cole said in a statement. «Our top priority moving forward will include rebuilding public trust.»
The La Vergne police officers’ accounts were in an internal report on the department’s investigation obtained by WSMV, NBC affiliate of Nashville. The officers discussed sharing cell phone photos of their genitals, having sex at the police station and participating in “Girls Gone Wild” type parties.
“The actions of a few do not represent the department as a whole,” Police Chief Burrel “Chip” Davis said.
Davis said that despite the layoffs and suspensions, «we have enough staff to cover all of our patrol shifts.» He said counselors have been hired to «help our officers get through these circumstances.»
Maegan Hall, the female officer at the center of the scandal, has been fired, city officials said. Also fired were Sgt. Lewis Powell, Staff Sgt. Henry Ty McGowan, Detective Seneca Shields, and Officer Juan Lugo-Perez.
Officers Larry Holloday, Patrick Magliocco and Gavin Schoeberl have been suspended, they said.
NBC News tried to reach out to all of the officers who were fired or suspended, but got no response. In addition to violating departmental rules against having sex while on duty, they are charged with hindering the investigation by lying about their actions and engaging in «conduct unbecoming of an officer,» according to the investigative report.
None have been charged with crimes, city spokeswoman Anne Smith said. The Rutherford County District Attorney’s Office said WTVF-TV of Nashville who was monitoring the situation.
Earlier, Police Sgt. Eric Staats, president of the department’s Fraternal Order of Police chapter, told news outlets that neither officer would make a statement.
Staats owns the houseboat where a wild «jacuzzi» party was held last Memorial Day, where the officers drank heavily and where, at one point, Hall lost his top and had vodka poured over him. throat, according to the investigative report. Staats is not charged with any crime.
City officials launched an investigation Dec. 12 after a police sergeant told Cole that Hall «was having intimate relationships» with other officers, according to a report obtained by WSMV which lays out what supposedly happened in graphic detail.
Under questioning, Powell, Magliocco, Holloday, Shields and Lugo-Perez admitted to having sex with Hall, according to the report.
Hall also admitted to having sexual relations with those officers and also with McGowan, the report says. She said that she also shared nude images with Holloday, Magliocco, McGowan and Schoeberl.
Shields told city investigators that Hall performed oral sex on her in the police gym after initially stating, «I have never had sexual relations with Maegan Hall,» the report says.
Powell also initially denied having any sexual relationship with Hall, the report says. He later admitted in the report that he also had oral sex with Hall on duty at a police substation.
Powell also admitted that as the investigation progressed, he and Hall compared notes in a failed attempt to keep their appointment a secret from investigators.
“Powell confirmed that he and Hall met at Planet Fitness,” the report says. «Powell confirmed that they discussed the investigation and Powell told Hall that he denied all the allegations during his interview with Human Resources.»
Magliocco told investigators that in addition to having sex with Hall, he also proposed to «do things» with him and his wife. Holloday also reported that Hall floated the idea of having a threesome with him and his «ex».
Holloday and Magliocco raised concerns in interviews about Hall’s heavy drinking and mental health, according to the report.
“Magliocco reported learning that Hall discharged his weapon and shot him dry in the head ‘so he could hear what it sounded like,’” the report says.
But Magliocco «admitted to not reporting that to anyone» until Dec. 8, when, he said, he called Staats to relay «these concerns to leadership,» the report said.
McGowan revealed, in what the report described as contentious interviews with senior police officers, that he once went to Hall’s house with another woman and exposed his genitalia. He was also charged with attempting to intimidate a city human resources assistant of hers by grabbing her by the throat.
“McGowan claims it was a game, however it was not an unwanted and aggressive form of physical contact that is not allowed at work,” the report says.
