Sheriff’s officer sues Metro cop for defamation

A Davidson County Sheriff’s Office correctional officer has filed a defamation suit against a Metro Police officer for initiating an investigation into whether or not she was a member of the Crips street gang.

In May 2008, correctional officer Latesia Appleton was charged with domestic assault for allegedly hitting her husband with a telephone. One of the officers responding to the call was Richard Martin, of Metro Police’s Hermitage precinct, who told his supervisors Appleton had admitted during the investigation that she was a member of the Crips gang.

According to the police report, Appleton was arguing with her husband over whether she would attend the funeral of a gang member who had recently passed away. According to Martin’s account, Appleton told him three different times she was a member of the gang.

When Martin found out Appleton was a corrections officer with the sheriff’s office, he notified his ranking officer.

Appleton was subsequently put on paid administrative leave while the allegation was investigated by the sheriff’s office. That investigation into conduct unbecoming an officer ultimately exonerated Appleton, according to sheriff’s office documents.

The sheriff’s report stated that Appleton was adamant she was not a gang member or affiliated with gang activity in any way. The investigation also showed that Appleton and Martin had a history of differences dating back to 2007 and an arrest incident involving her son.

Because of their history and the fact that Martin’s version of events from the night of her May 2008 arrest allegedly changed, according to the sheriff’s office investigation, Appleton was exonerated and allowed to return to work.

According to the sheriff’s office, she is employed as a correctional officer. Her domestic assault charge was retired by prosecutors last year.

According to Appleton’s defamation complaint, filed in Davidson County Circuit Court last week, she was subject to adverse employment conditions, ridicule and humiliation as a direct result of Martin’s claims.

The complaint seeks untold compensatory damages for Appleton’s suffering as a result of the gang claim.

An 11-year veteran of the police department, Martin had the matter investigated by the Office of Professional Accountability and was cleared of any wrongdoing. Martin has two minor infractions in his personnel file, resulting in the loss of paid vacation days.