The Tullahoma police chief resigned after entering a no contest plea Monday to a charge of tampering with evidence, WSMV reported. Paul Blackwell resigned as chief after letting go of his Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) certification as a condition of his plea agreement, which means he is no longer a certified law enforcement officer, the station said. Blackwell received a four-year sentenced suspended to probation under a deferred judgment, according to 14th Judicial District Attorney General Craig Northcott. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Susan Niland said in December 2018 that Northcott had requested the investigation, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. “The complaint stems from his office’s handling of the investigation of a motor vehicle crash involving the chief’s son in November,” Niland said. In January, Blackwell and Tullahoma Police Department Capt. George Marsh were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, The Manchester Times said. The investigation was handled by the City of Tullahoma; TBI conducted the investigation of misconduct. Jennings Jones, DA of the 16th Judicial District, handled the prosecution after Northcott recused himself. Marsh, who resigned in February, also gave up his POST certification and will not face any…
Read the full story
