TBI raids home of former MNPD officer identified in leak investigation of Covenant School shooter’s writings

On November 13, 2024By Pranco

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has raided the home owned by the former Metro Nashville Police Department officer identified in an investigation into the leak of the Covenant School scriptures shooter. The documents were leaked to a media outlet in Tennessee, which later published them.

The TBI confirmed to WSMV4 Investigates that former MNPD Officer Garet Davidson’s Portland home was raided “several weeks ago in connection with an ongoing investigation.”

WSMV4 Investigates confirmed, through two separate checks of properties in Robertson County, that the home raided by investigators is owned by Davidson.

Additionally, the former Nashville officer has been linked to the leaks through a criminal complaint filed by Lt. Alfredo Arevalo.

In the document, Arevalo states:

6. On November 7, 2023, a hard drive containing the complete criminal investigation file was delivered to me. Upon receiving the submitted file, I did not look at it; I had no reason to do so because of the progress of the leak investigation. Instead, I handed the external drive containing the criminal investigation file to the then OPA Lieutenant, Garet Davidson, to store in the OPA safe in his office. Mr. Davidson was the only person at the time who had the key and combination to the locked safe.

7. On November 20, 2023, I personally saw Mr. Davidson open the OPA safe and retrieved the hard drive. I then personally delivered the hard drive containing the criminal investigation file to the MNPD Homicide Unit and watched Lt. Brent Gibson store it back in their locked safe.

8. At the end of December 2023, Mr. Davidson resigned from MNPD.

9. On June 4, 2024, Mr. Davidson appeared on the Tennessee Star radio show and was interviewed by Michael Patrick Leahy. In that interview, he discussed the contents of a memo the FBI sent to MNPD regarding the Covenant School shooting, which had previously not been publicly released. A day later, on June 5, 2024, the Tennessee Star said it had obtained dozens of pages from the shooter’s diary through a source. The Tennessee Star subsequently began publishing stories about the contents of the Covenant School criminal investigation file. Mr. Davidson has continued to appear on Leahy’s radio program for interviews regarding the Covenant School criminal investigation file, although at no time did he play an active or passive role in the Covenant School criminal investigation or the subsequent administrative investigation into the leak.

11. In an effort to determine the source of this leaked information, I have learned from Covenant school investigative leaders assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division that the information contained in the Tennessee Star stories is the same information contained in the file of November 2023, when I gave it to Mr. Davidson to store in his office at OPA.

That’s possible Read Lt. Arevalo’s full statement by clicking this link.

In September, the Tennessee Star published all 90 pages of what it said was the diary seized during a search of the Covenant School shooter’s home and vehicle on the day of the shooting that left six people dead came. The media released the handwritten diary that they say was found in the school shooter’s car on March 27, 2023, and was obtained legally through a source involved in the Covenant School investigation.

The Tennessee Star published the writings despite a court order sealing them. It was one of several parties that had previously filed a lawsuit to force the Metro government to release at least 20 magazines, a suicide note and a memoir written by the gunman.

Shortly after the leaked writings were published, WSMV4 Investigates contacted MNPD for comment. While the department declined to comment, a police spokesperson did say that MNPD “remains very concerned about this and wants to know who is responsible.”

Also after publication, Leahy issued a statement about the Star‘s website asserting the publication’s First Amendment right to publish the magazine and expressing a willingness to fight any legal action aimed at holding them in contempt.

In July, Davidson County Chancellor I’ashea Myles ruled that the writings would not be released. Myles’ ruling was based on a number of factors, including a federal copyright law that exempts the writings from being released and information about school safety that could endanger others if it got into the wrong hands.

WSMV4 Investigates reached out to Davidson for comment and has not heard back. This is a development story.

WSMV4 reported on Davidson before he was identified in the leak investigation. In May 2024, Davidson alleged that officers with MNPD committed unethical actions. Davidson said officers worked with lawmakers to abolish community oversight boards across the state, including Nashville.

“I’m coming to you today about why I filed a 61-page complaint with the MNPD,” Davidson said in a statement video he made.

The document lists nine different complaints, but one alleges that two officers worked with lawmakers to limit independent review of alleged police misconduct. The law abolished the Community Oversight Board, which had the authority to conduct investigations jointly with MNPD’s Office of Professional Accountability (OPA).

“I believe one consequence officers are already seeing from this change in law is an increase in the number of OPA investigations being conducted,” Davidson said in the video.

Davidson said in his complaint that MNPD Chief John Drake was aware of the lobbying between officers and lawmakers. Drake didn’t address that in his recent article statement to the media, only that MNPD is reviewing the complaint and will investigate.