Transcript - Lewis Powell - Part 2
Transcript - Lewis Powell - Part 2
Transcript - Lewis Powell - Part 2
Interview of Sergeant Lewis Powell (214) – Part 2
Patton: Thanks for coming back in. Um, this is a follow‐up conversation on our conversation from the
13th.
Powell: Okay.
Patton: Um, you remember the Garrity form?
Powell: Mm‐hmm.
Patton: You signed it then. Do you have any questions on that?
Powell: No.
Patton: Chief, anything you want to go over?
Davis: No, [inaudible].
Patton: No problem. Uh so, um, I’m more than a week into this investigation.
Powell: Mm‐hmm.
Patton: Um, and I needed to follow‐up with you specifically because some of the information you
provided to me uh the last time, I’ve learned a lot more information about. Um, so, I wanted to get you
back in here um so that we could try to learn all that you know. Um, because I don’t believe that you
told me all that you know the last time. Okay. So, um, I really want to start with when we were talking
about um, I think I asked you the question what‐what information do you have about intimate or sexual
relationships within second shift? Might have said the department, but we’re talking about that. You
told me last time that Ty and Meagan Hall hooked up. And I asked you‐
Powell: I didn’t say they hooked up, I said it’s just a rumor, speculation.
Davis: A rumor that you heard?
Powell: Yeah, yeah, just a rumor.
Patton: I believe your exact words were that they hooked up, because that’s what I wrote down.
Powell: [inaudible]
Patton: Okay. However, you don’t remember who told you that, okay. Is what you told me.
Powell: Nobody didn’t tell me, it’s just the way they interact.
Patton: Okay. So, so, I know a lot of information now. So, I’m going to give you another opportunity to
be honest with me about what you know about Ty and Meagan Hall. That’s not all‐that’s not all you
know.
Powell: I don’t know anything.
Patton: Yes, you do.
Powell: I don’t.
Patton: Yes, you do.
Powell: I don’t know if they hooked up or not.
Patton: Yes, you do.
Powell: How would I know?
Patton: Because you do. So, I want to give you the opportunity under Garrity to tell me what you know
about Ty and Meagan Hall.
Powell: I’m not sure if they hooked up but, I’ve saw‐I think I saw a car at his house but it was a red car,
so I don’t know.
Patton: Okay.
Powell: If it was actually her car or not.
Patton: Have you spoken to Meagan Hall within the last two weeks?
Powell: No, been on 23‐hour lockdown.
Patton: Okay. So, that’s also not true, okay. Um, I know that you and Meagan Hall were at Planet Fitness
in Murfreesboro last week.
Powell: I haven’t met anybody.
Patton: That’s also not true, sir. I can’t impress upon you the importance of being honest at this point.
Davis: Hold on a second. Lewis, why are we doing this? He‐he’s obviously given you very specific
information that‐that he has found out. Why are we going down this road? Let me ask you, who‐who’s
career are you trying to save? Yours or theirs?
Powell: I’m trying to save mine.
Davis: Okay, but then if you’re trying to save yours, I need you to talk to this guy. I need you‐no,
seriously. Look at the seriousness, I need you to talk to this guy, alright? Because if you’re trying to save
theirs, saving theirs could be potentially hurting yours. So, talk to this guy.
Powell: I don’t know if they hooked up or not. I don’t know for sure, but I did see her car there. So,
[inaudible] I think she texted me‐I forget, a while ago, and she texted me and said “Haven’t spoke to you
in a while.” And I was like, I didn’t answer, it was like ten o’clock and that’s in the morning. [inaudible]
got very vague in my texts, and uh, I asked her [inaudible] I said, “I’m on admin leave.” She said, “Why?”
I said, “Speculation on me and you doing something at the substation.” So, she’s like, “Do you want to
talk about it?” I said, “We can talk about it.” So, yeah, we met at Planet Fitness and just kind of just
talked about it and I was like‐
Patton: Alright, so, pause. This is where I need us to live, in the honest world, okay. The City has a
corporate relationship with Planet Fitness, so when I received the information that you were there, I
verified it.
Powell: I didn’t sign in or nothing.
Patton: That’s correct, you didn’t. But there’s cameras all outside the building, right. So, I have watched
videos, I have seen photos, I have seen way too much of Officers naked bodies than I want to see in this
investigation, okay. So, where we are right now, where we’re headed right now, this is where I need us
to live, okay. So, you met up with Meagan at Planet Fitness last Wednesday, correct?
Powell: I don’t know if it was Wednesday or Thursday, I’m not sure the day.
Patton: Okay. Tell me what your conversation was with her.
Powell: It’s uh basically, wondering what the speculation was, wondering what was going on. I was like,
you know we‐we‐I never‐I never ever did anything with her at all.
Patton: Okay.
Powell: Um, she didn’t want to upset nobody, I asked how her doctor’s appointments are going, she said
fine and our conversation left there. I was like, you know, we just need to be honest about stuff. I said, I
[inaudible] help you out on a lot of stuff, you did come to the substation but nothing never happened,
you know.
Patton: Okay. Did you guys talk about Ty at that meeting?
Powell: Well, I asked her, I was like, “I thought I saw your car at Ty’s house.”
Patton: Mm‐hmm.
Powell: And she kind of paused, she said, “Yeah, my car was at Ty’s house.” That’s what she told me. So,
I don’t know if she was lying or was actually‐
Davis: So, why just a second ago it was a red car there but I don’t know if it was hers or not, but then
now you just confirmed that it was her car?
Powell: Well I‐I don’t, well she’s told me that her car was there, I don’t know for sure if it was her or not.
Davis: Okay.
Patton: Yeah, it was her car. It was her car.
Powell: Okay.
Patton: Um so, when we left on the 13th we had given you um some guidance to not have any
conversations with anybody that worked for the LaVergne Police Department besides Chief and myself.
Why did you make the decision to violate that request and meet with Meagan?
Powell: Just to talk‐talk to her.
Patton: Okay.
Powell: I was scared, she was scared, everybody’s scared.
Patton: Okay. Um so, I have information, okay. Uh, that I‐I know that you know that her and Ty have
been sexual.
Powell: I don’t know for sure but it’s pretty obvious if her car was there.
Patton: Yeah. Well I‐I know that you know this, because I’ve seen it and I also know that you had a
conversation with Ty in order to make sure that both of your stories that you’re giving to me were the
same. So, I would like for you to tell me about your conversation with Ty and why you guys have decided
to intentionally deceive the investigation.
Powell: Well he called me and I asked, I don’t know what day, and we met down the street from my
house.
Patton: Mm‐hmm.
Powell: We was just talking and uh I don’t remember the whole conversation, I was crying most of the
time.
Patton: Mm‐hmm.
Powell: But it was uh, I’m not‐he didn’t say anything about sex. Um‐
Patton: Did he‐did he tell you that he met with me?
Powell: Uh‐uh.
Patton: Did he tell you that he showed me videos and photos and all that stuff?
Powell: No.
Patton: So, I guess I will go back to what Chief said a few moments ago. We are here with you to try to
work on your future. So, I mean I know what I know and I’ve got‐I’ve got plenty of supportive
information at this point. I didn’t have it on the 13th, I have it now. So‐so, you met with Ty down the
street from your house, right. And then you guys talked, obviously, you both probably shared with each
other that you had met with me. You told him that you denied everything.
Powell: Say what?
Patton: You told him that you denied everything, right.
Powell: Right. I don’t know if I denied it.
Davis: Bullshit.
Patton: You denied it to me.
Davis: You denied every single thing that he asked you.
Patton: You denied it to me in the first interview, there’s no question about that.
Powell: Right.
Patton: I asked you did‐you said “I’ve never hooked up with Meagan Hall.” You denied it, so.
Davis: Ain’t never traded pics.
Patton: Yeah. So, you told him that you denied it, is that correct?
Powell: Yeah.
Patton: And he told you that he denied it.
Powell: Don’t remember.
Patton: Okay. And so, let’s go back to the Planet Fitness parking lot, you and Meagan Hall, tell me about
the conversation that was giving her some guidance and some instructions that she should continue to
deny it. Tell me about that part of the conversation.
Powell: I just told her to tell them what you know about what’s going on.
Patton: Okay.
Powell: You know.
Patton: Okay.
Powell: Uh, I’m trying to remember the conversation.
Patton: You didn’t tell her to stick to the story?
Powell: I said, stick to no story, I said uh, we both have careers, uh where we never ever, we never did
nothing, you know.
Patton: Okay. Just for the record at this point, I know that’s a lie. I know that’s a lie.
Powell: Talking about the substation?
Patton: Yes. She gave you a blowjob at the substation.
Powell: She didn’t give me a blowjob at the substation.
Patton: Yes, she did.
Powell: I never got a blowjob then.
Patton: Okay. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I know that’s not the case. I also know that you both
checked 10‐7 early often on shift. We’ve looked at records on all that, we’ve traced when, where you
guys go and I really want you to be honest with me. At this point, there is no more purpose of lying.
Powell: Mm‐hmm.
Patton: Um, because here’s the situation. Um, I‐I’ve added an allegation to your claim of intentional
interference with an investigation. You know, I know that you told Meagan to‐to deny it, I know you told
her to stick to her story, I know that you talked to Ty about that, I also know that Ty has reached out to
Meagan, told her to deny it, stick to the story. Uh, I know he ended that conversation by saying “Hey,
this call never happened. This call never happened, we never talked.” I know all of that, I’ve got all of
that. Um, and this is your opportunity to sit with us and be honest. So, at this point um, I’m not going to
ask any other questions, I’m just going to allow you to share the full extent of your relationship with
Meagan Hall and [inaudible] I know you know about Ty and then I‐when you’re done sharing, I’m going
to revisit some other names of people that I brought up the first time.
Powell: Alright. Yeah well, we hooked up. We did have oral sex at the substation. Uh, we did hook up in
the car several times. Um, what else? I did tell her about the story, that we probably need to say‐at least
keep out families together. I did talk to Ty. Um, I’m sure we talked about the conversation we were
going to have with HR. I’m not sure the exact words, I was crying most of the time. Um, what was I
saying, he never told me that they hooked up. He never said that. I believe, you know, Meagan told me, I
saw her car at the house and I asked her about it and she said “Yeah, I was down there.” And she never
told me if they had sex or not, I’m not sure. Um, that’s all the questions.
Patton: Okay. I don’t like being that strong, it’s not my personality, but I didn’t want to waste any of our
time, okay. Um, so thank you. I‐I know all of that to be true, okay.
Davis: Lewis, how come you didn’t say this on the 13th?
Powell: Scared. Nervous.
Davis: So, okay. I’m not going to even call it a mistake. You know, you do what you do, fine, it is what it
is. The issue that I have, just like I told her, is I’m disappointed it happened on duty. Off duty, I could
care less. Because in my‐in my side of the fence, City policy says as long as it’s made known, you could
have come at me as Chip and say “hey” that’s making it known, okay. And then when this investigation
come out and he asked me, “Did you know Lewis Powell and Meagan Hall was together?” Yes. That
satisfies policy. “What did you do?” I counseled them, I said “Hey, I don’t care what y’all do on your off
time, as long as it doesn’t come back to work.” Wrote it down, kept it in my files. That would have
satisfied all of that. But, I’m hurt. Let me tell you that, I’m hurt because you lied to me and you didn’t
have to do that. You think you lied to him, but you lied to me because this is the department that I’m
over and you didn’t have to do that. We‐we could have gotten through all of this but you compounded
by‐you compounded‐I guess I can’t call it a mistake, but you compounded that by‐by lying and you didn’t
have to.
Powell: I was just scared. I’m scared.
Davis: I get it, I get it. I get it.
Powell: First time in fourteen years‐
Davis: But I’d rather be scared because I told the truth and don’t know what’s going to‐reaction’s going
to be than be scared and not know, when you left here you didn’t have a good feeling about whatever
was going on, I’m sure you didn’t enjoy your vacation.
Powell: Nope.
Davis: And I thought you‐you probably thought you felt better when we was going to give you your spot
back. And that was the truth, because at that point in time, we didn’t have anything else. But everybody
like you, right now at this moment, decided they wanted to try to save their career. So, they finally told
the truth. That’s how he knew what he knew. Because everybody stopped thinking about the other
person and started thinking about themselves and that’s what you just done again. I appreciate it, I am
hurt, I’m going to tell you that right now. I am hurt and this is something that’s‐that’s definitely going to
have to be discussed. Anything else?
Patton: Um‐
Davis: Who else‐who else do you know?
Patton: What other Officers?
Powell: Um‐
Davis: Who are the other Officers?
Powell: Maybe Larry Holladay was at the house and stuff.
Patton: Yeah, your comment was “Larry Holladay told me he hung out at someone’s house‐at
someone’s house.”
Powell: Maybe‐maybe Shields.
Davis: How did you come up with Shields?
Powell: Um, just the way they interact and hang around each other and getting giddy and texting each
other.
Patton: So, give me more specifics on that. What do you know about them?
Powell: Uh, just really touchy feely, hugging up on each other and you know, Shields always a hugger but
it’s like a little‐little different hugs.
Patton: Mm‐hmm.
Powell: So.
Patton: Is that the full extent of what you know?
Powell: We may have‐we have had a conversation, I mean, I think he said she may have gave him a
blowjob but it was just maybe a blowjob.
Patton: What about Larry? You and Larry talk?
Powell: Um, yeah.
Patton: You and Larry talked since the last time we talked?
Powell: Uh, we text back and forth.
Davis: Did you talk about this?
Patton: Mm‐hmm. Did you talk about the case?
Powell: Uh, not really, a little bit but not really, not in full detail.
Patton: Okay. But you know that Larry and her‐
Powell: Probably, most likely, yes. I haven’t seen it but he said they did hook up.
Patton: Yeah.
Powell: But hook up‐I don’t know if they’re having sex or not, but a hook up to me is like sex.
Patton: Yeah, yeah. Um, you also said maybe PMag. You sticking to the maybe on that one?
Powell: Well, I don’t know that for sure. Ain’t nobody told me that, I don’t‐I don’t know for sure.
Patton: You just threw it out there?
Powell: Dude, that was a big speculation, or rumor really.
Patton: Okay.
Powell: Usually the way they hang out and everybody thought they was having a I guess, open marriage
sex. I did ask Hall about that too.
Patton: What did she say?
Powell: She said they hooked up. Oh, I’m sorry‐sex, hooked up, sex.
Patton: Absolutely. Here’s‐here’s the thing, everybody involved has this like‐and‐and I say strange,
because of what y’all do every single day, they have this strange notion that everything was going to be
packaged up with a bow on it and no one is ever going to know. This did not‐this investigation did not
start within the department, it did not come to me from within the Police Department, it came from
outside the Police Department. And as I’ve mentioned to a couple of other people, what y’all thought
was just going to be protected and quiet, it got to me. And if it gets to me, it’s going to get to spouses
and friends and other coworkers. That’s why as‐as we have gone on day after day after day after day,
that’s why I wanted to talk with you because I was like, we didn’t get at all any of the accurate story. So,
I wanted to give you an opportunity. So, PMag was a rumor but you did ask Hall.
Powell: She said they hooked up.
Patton: Yeah. Okay, and you talked with Larry and he said that they hooked up. But for some strange
reason, Ty has never told you that he hooked up.
Powell: No, he didn’t tell me. Not when‐when we was talking‐
Patton: Because that’s the one piece, you’ve‐you’ve given me everything I already knew except you
haven’t‐
Powell: He never told me they hooked up. When we was talking, I was like man, [inaudible] it was like‐
he stopped me like‐because I‐he said‐well he looked towards his house, but he never told me. That’s the
honest truth.
Patton: But in your gut, you know.
Powell: Probably. Yeah, he probably did in my gut.
Davis: So, what would have been the purpose of hooking up with him if he didn’t really have anything to
do with it?
Patton: As far as coordinating stories, is that what you mean?
Davis: Yeah.
Patton: We’ve been saying hooked up, I want to make sure that I’m changing the context of the phrase.
Davis: Okay, I’m sorry. Yes.
Powell: Because‐because we got‐
Davis: Yeah, why get together and talk about it if‐if he didn’t have‐
Powell: He always talks to me about stuff, like having a problem with this, problem at home, you know.
We always talk all the time. So, I just needed somebody to lean on.
Patton: And you’re both‐both Sergeants.
Powell: Mm‐hmm, he’s my lean on.
Davis: That’s‐that’s legit. I have to have somebody.
Powell: Yeah. I can’t go home and talk to my wife about it, we’re having problems. So, you know.
Patton: I’m going to ask you a question uh and the question comes more out of concern, okay. I got
information yesterday that you guys had a bit of a domestic.
Powell: Yep, yep.
Patton: Okay, okay. You okay?
Powell: She scratched me, punched me.
Patton: Okay. That’s what I heard.
Powell: Yep.
Patton: And I was told no Police report, and I said‐I‐I‐
Powell: I mean, I can’t call the Police on my wife.
Davis: Was it over this?
Patton: Yes, yeah.
Powell: Yeah, yeah.
Davis: What does she know?
Powell: She knows what I told her.
Davis: Huh?
Powell: She knows what I told her.
Davis: You was honest with her? Somewhat.
Powell: No
Davis: Like you were with us? You denied everything to her?
Powell: Uh, I didn’t deny it but I told her it was something going on and she was like “I can’t believe
you’re doing this shit to me.”
Patton: Yeah, I heard that yesterday and I wanted to‐I mean, I didn’t even mention it to him but I
wanted to make sure that you were okay. Because they said no Police report‐
Powell: I’m fine, she’s already‐she’s already hired a divorce attorney, so.
Patton: I’m sorry.
Davis: How can we help you?
Powell: Ain’t nothing anybody can do for me, that’s on me. So, I lose my wife and kids, job, ain’t nothing
anybody can do about it.
Davis: Nobody said you were losing your job. I would have much rather you have said this stuff back on
the 13th, it would have made it much easier on us but‐
Powell: Yeah, I fucked up. I messed up.
Davis: That’s it right there, man. That’s it. That’s‐that’s the end game. “I fucked up.”
Powell: I [inaudible].
Davis: That’s‐you know, I had to go two days you have been on vacation, or whatever the case may be,
to get to that right there.
Powell: If I had my choice, I’d just rather lose my job than lose my wife.
Davis: I 100% agree.
Powell: You know, it is what it is, nothing I can do about it.
Davis: So, now I have to decide, because you did give false statements under Garrity, I have to decide
how sincere you are today if I’m going to go and at least let you have your certification. You know, so,
now is the time. I mean, if there’s more. I thought losing an Officer was tough, this is tough. This is
tough. But I‐you know, I appreciate your honesty. You know, um we saw it in you the first time, we knew
you was scared but you wouldn’t‐you wouldn’t tell us what we wanted. What we, you know, what
needed to be said. Anything else?
Patton: No, no, I think I’m good.
Davis: Lewis, do you have any questions?
Powell: What’s the next step?
Patton: Well, I’m going to put you back out on admin leave. Okay. Um, same‐same parameters, you
can’t be at anything Police or City related, can’t talk to anybody at the City, I‐honestly don’t believe that
you’ll follow that, but that.
Powell: It‐it is going to be followed.
Patton: That is the guidance. Um, I will‐just for consistency, I’ve told every other person that I’ve given
this same statement to that if we discover that you have talked to people, we’ll‐we’ll make an
immediate recommendation to change the admin paid leave. Um, investigation will be concluded uh,
probably sometime next week as far as some decisions and at that point um, we’ll call you in for‐
Davis: How is‐how is your dog food for Hera?
Powell: I may have another week.
Davis: Okay. Anything she need?
Powell: No.
Davis: You been getting her out?
Powell: Just [inaudible] in the yard and stuff.
Davis: Need to keep her work ready. If and when the time comes, she needs to be ready to work. So,
what other questions you got?
Powell: [inaudible] Nothing I can do about it now. [inaudible]
Davis: If‐if we can, Andrew, I want to‐I want to just stop for a minute on the house part of it. What‐what
really can we do to help you?
Powell: There’s nothing you can do for me, no.
Davis: Okay. Because even though we’re going through this, we still care. We still care. It’s something
that, I’m not‐I’m not saying that me as a Chief of Police about to get on the telephone to call the Agency,
I’m not saying that, I’m saying as a member of this department, what is it that we can do?
Powell: Nothing. I’m getting ready to go home and get into more domestics, so.
Davis: Now you do know, you know, I think I heard you all said you was having issues or whatever that‐
that you have an opportunity for a few free counseling sessions for you all. Um, I‐
Patton: And legal assistance, all kinds of assistance and all kinds of things, EAP, you’re still‐you’re still‐
Davis: Still‐
Patton: You’re still a Police Officer, you’re still an employee of the City and that doesn’t change, you’re
still getting paid every single day so, those benefits are still there.
Davis: Yeah. So, I mean that’s‐that’s a resource. Um, you should look into it. Judge may make you do
that anyway before they grant anything.
Powell: Hopefully nothing else happens at the house, but I’m pretty sure it will.
Davis: So, what happens when we open this door?
Powell: I’m going to my truck and I’m going to go home.
Patton: You bring your POV?
Powell: Maybe I’ll go home, maybe I won’t.
Davis: You need to talk to anybody while you’re here?
Powell: Nope.
Davis: DC or Konrad, anybody like that?
Powell: Nothing they can do for me. I really keep them out my business anyway.
Patton: We‐we still have all the credentials and all that stuff? Okay. Well, I’m sorry that we’re where
we’re at but um, like I said, we’ll put you back on admin leave with pay and you can expect a phone call
at some point next week or the week after. And then there will be some decisions made about futures
and whatever that looks like and we’ll call you back in here and we’ll discuss that together, face to face.
Davis: Um, I don’t know if Andrew mentioned but we don’t make the final decision. You know, he’s just
going to write up this‐I’m assisting this, like I said, it didn’t come to the Police Department so it’s not a
Police Department investigation. It came through to him. So, therefore I’m just assisting. He has‐he’s got
a report that he’s going to write up and you know. We can speak for you. But that’s all I got.
Patton: Okay. Do you have any questions?
Powell: No. My timecards is in the box, so.
Patton: Do you want him to fill out that timecard, Chief?
Powell: Everything’s already been filled out, it’s all good.
Davis: No, you don’t have to fill it out, it’s‐it’s admin, it’s admin pay, we’ll fix it.
Patton: Okay.
Davis: Are you eights or tens?
Powell: Tens.
Davis: Tens, okay. Yeah, we’ll fix it.
Patton: Okay.