LISA HOBBS - News Editor
We are days away from the one-month mark of a fatal officer-involved shooting and a McMinnville SWAT Team member still awaits official vindication. That decision is in the hands of 31st Judicial District Attorney General Matthew Colvard.
Attorney Justin Colwell, retained to represent the officer, believes that a grand jury will be used and he’s against that.
“I think that Matt Colvard and the district attorney’s office are all great people,” said Colwell. “I think this is a very difficult decision that he is dealing with, and I think he just doesn’t want to make that decision himself. He’s worded this as an investigative grand jury, but the result is the same. You’re asking for a true bill or a no true bill.”
The incident occurred on Sept. 3. Scott Carroll Jr., 44, barricaded himself in a residence on Dogwood Pointe Drive, after officers responded to a domestic disturbance. Several hours of failed negotiations ensued. Carroll fired upon officers multiple times from inside the residence. The standoff ended when he exited with a gun in each hand and pointed them at officers. He was shot and pronounced dead on scene.
Days later, in the midst of public scrutiny that attempted to paint those officers as gunning down an unarmed man, Mosley released footage to provide factual information. It depicted an armed Carroll with guns in each hand pointing in the direction of officers before he was shot.
“I think going to the grand jury with this sets a bad precedent,” Colwell continued. “I think Matt could exercise his duties, review the facts and clear this officer without making him wait any longer to get back to a normal life. I have not had a conversation with Matt Colvard on this, to be clear. I have heard from very credible sources that this is going to the grand jury. The TBI has made statements to me and other attorneys involved in this case that the DA’s office plans to present this to the grand jury.”
Colwell says the case is clear cut and he believes the grand jury will also see it that way.
“I don’t anticipate a true bill being the result of this. My concern is that this is the most clear-cut incident Warren County has had in the last 20 years. It’s well documented. There have been other cases that, maybe, were not so well documented that I strongly believed the law enforcement officers in those incidents were well within their rights to do what they did. I’m scare for law enforcement in the future for cases that might not be so well documented. I’m not concerned with this officer being prosecuted. I just think it sets a very bad precedent in our community and how we support our law enforcement.”
When contacted by Warren County Way, McMinnville Police Chief Nichole Mosley stated that an officer with the Murfreesboro PD is also on administrative leave.
“What we’re waiting on is a letter of clearance from the district attorney,” said Mosley. “I know this was a good shoot. The officers did nothing wrong. I think everyone knows that. There are just steps that need to be followed afterwards.”
Colvard did request that TBI special agents investigate the circumstances that led to Carroll’s death.
“I’ve called and asked what the holdup is, and Matt says he’s not received the TBI report yet,” said Mosley. “Not sure why that is. I know they are investigating other shootings, so that might be the reason that it’s taking so long.”
Warren County Way was informed that two Warren County Sheriff’s deputies have also been on administrative leave since Sept. 3. Sheriff Jackie Matheny Jr. says that is not accurate.
“We didn’t have anything to do with that,” Matheny stated. “We were there, but we were on the outskirts of it. We assisted and answered calls that day, but none of our deputies were involved in the shooting.”
Matheny stated his belief that the officers did their jobs on that day, “If law enforcement can’t do what they done that day, then none of us need to be in law enforcement. It’s getting dangerous. We are going to be a part of more situations like that, I feel like. Coffee County had three officer-involved shootings and we had one. I hope I’m wrong, but I feel we are going to see a little bit more of that. It’s dangerous times.”
Warren County Way reached out to DA Colvard. He was in court and could not readily return the call.