Police Say No Rules Broken in Mark Capps Killing. Rules Say Otherwise
Friends and fellow members of the country music community continue to remain frustrated that few if any answers in the January 5th police-involved killing of 4-time Grammy winning engineer Mark Capps have been forthcoming from either the Metro Nashville Police Department, or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) that is in charge of the investigation.
After a domestic incident at the home of Mark Capps where his wife and daughter-in-law accused Capps of kidnapping them, threatening them, and holding them at gunpoint, four arrest warrants were issued for the 54-year-old. SWAT Officers were deployed to serve the warrants at the Capps home in Nashville’s Hermitage neighborhood, but instead of attempting to serve the warrants or to get Mark Capps to surrender, three SWAT Officers were deployed to the front porch of the home to place an explosive device on the front door in what police characterize as a “covert operation.”
When Mark Capps realized someone was on his front porch and opened the door, SWAT Officer Ashley Kendall Coon opened fire, killing Mark Capps. Coon claims that Mark Capps had a revolver in his had at the time, and that his movements posed a treat. Body camera footage released by Metro Nashville police leave it undetermined if Mark Capps possessed a gun, and/or raised it in a threatening manner, while in a previous incident, Officer Coon acted completely differently (see below).
On March 15th, The Tennessean published a report on how Metro Nashville is looking into the formation of a board that would examine critical incidents like the one that involved Mark Capps. The department already has a Professional Standards Division and Force Review Board, but this new board would examine critical incidents like police-involved shootings and killings in their entirety to critique policy, training, and supervision.
Similar boards exist in Las Vegas and Albuquerque, and former Davidson County assistant district attorney Kathy Morante who leads the Professional Standards Division for Metro Nashville has been visiting those departments in an exploratory role. Though the Metro Nashville Police Department has looked into the Mark Capps incident internally, it is the TBI that handles all police-involved shootings.
However, instead of admitting to any potential mistakes made in the Mark Capps killing, while meeting with The Tennessean‘s editorial board, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake told the paper that SWAT Officers who responded to the home of Mark Capps acted within department policy when they fatally shot him.
“I can’t say I’m happy or not, but I’m never satisfied by someone losing their life,” Drake told The Tennessean’s editorial board. “I look at each individual interaction and try and see how we can be better.” But the Metro Nashville Police Department continues to claim no department policies were violated, when this seems to be very much open for discussion.
As friends of Mark Capps continue to question, why were no de-escalation tactics used when serving the warrants? Why didn’t police announce their presence in the area? Why wasn’t Capps requested to surrender? Why did police not try to serve the warrants in a more conventional manner? Why weren’t friends or family members, mental health professionals, or crisis negotiators involved in an attempt to talk to Mark Capps? Why was the first move by Metro Nashville SWAT personnel to place an explosive device on the front door of the residence? And why did Metro Nashville not think Mark Capps would not notice the officers, either naturally, or through the home’s camera surveillance system that police had been alerted to prior?
Though Police Chief John Drake told The Tennessean that police acted within department policy, the Metro Nashville Police Department Manual clearly states:
De-Escalation
1. In accordance with current MNPD training on use of force, and where feasible, authorized employees shall use de-escalation techniques and tactics to stabilize the situation and reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources are available to resolve the situation.
2. In accordance with current MNPD training on use of force, officers shall continually assess the situation and seek to utilize de- escalation techniques in all use of force incidents, where possible.
3. De-escalation techniques may include, but are not limited to:
a. Vocal/Voice Control: Ensuring only one member addresses an individual at a time, regulating vocal tone, explaining the officer’s actions and responding to questions, avoiding repetitive command loops, using calming gestures, verbal persuasion, verbal advisements and verbal warnings.
b. Decreasing exposure: Moving to a safer distance, seeking cover, tactical repositioning, and utilizing barriers between uncooperative subjects.
c. Slowing down the pace of the incident: Slowing speech, taking deep breaths, waiting the subject out, avoiding physical contact/confrontation, calling for additional personnel, requesting specially trained officers (bilingual, negotiators, CIT, etc.).
d. Decreasing visual triggers: Avoid angry expressions or tones, avoiding unnecessary display of weapons.
e. Disengagement: While the ultimate objective of every subject encounter is to avoid or minimize injury, nothing in this policy requires an officer to retreat or be exposed to a potential physical injury before applying reasonable force. However, in some situations, disengagement may be a viable option for individuals who pose no additional threats to themselves or others and who may later be apprehended under safer conditions.
4. Employees shall reduce the degree of force used as the threat diminishes and cease the use of force as soon as reasonable.
5. Successful resolution of an encounter ultimately relies on the cooperation of a subject to provide officers with the time and opportunity to employ de-escalation techniques. Cooperation is more likely obtained by conveying respect and professionalism to the subject throughout the contact.
All of these department policies were violated in the Mark Capps situation. Ordering the three SWAT Officers armed with assault rifles to the front porch had an escalatory effect on the incident, causing Mark Capps to open the front door—possibly in a startled state—and ultimately startling Officer Ashley Coon, who shot Mark Capps fatally three or four times very shortly after saying “Show me your hands!” to Mark Capps, but never announcing himself as law enforcement.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Manual also states in regards to the Use of Force:
Title 11: Use of Force
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department recognizes and respects the value and special integrity of each human life. When investing police employees with the lawful authority to use force to protect the public welfare, a careful balancing of all human interests is required.
11.10.010 Purpose
The main responsibility of MNPD officers is to protect the life and property of citizens. In compliance with applicable law, officers shall use only the amount of force necessary and reasonable to accomplish lawful objectives and to control a situation, effect an arrest, overcome resistance to arrest, or defend themselves or others from harm.
When force is necessary, the degree of force employed should be in direct relationship to the amount of resistance exerted, or the immediate threat to the officers or others. There is a compelling public interest that officers authorized to exercise the use of force do so in an objectively reasonable manner and in a way that does not violate the civil rights guaranteed by our Constitution, the Tennessee Constitution, and applicable law. Officers should attempt to use non-confrontational verbal skills, empathy, and/or active listening to stabilize a person in crisis or when confronted with a situation where control is required to effect an arrest or protect the public’s safety. Officers who use excessive or unjustified force degrade the confidence of the community that they serve, undermine the legitimacy of a police officer’s authority, and hinder the Department’s ability to provide effective law enforcement services to the community.
Officers who use excessive or unauthorized force, fail to use authorized techniques, or fail to de-escalate, where reasonable and possible, shall be subject to discipline, up to and including termination, possible criminal prosecution, and/or civil liability. The use of force is only authorized when it is objectively reasonable and for a lawful purpose. Accordingly, the Department will thoroughly review and/or investigate all uses of force by officers to assure compliance with all legal requirements and this policy.
This policy is for Metropolitan Nashville Police Department use only and does not apply in any criminal or civil legal proceedings. This department policy should not be construed as the creation of a higher legal standard of care. Violation of this directive will only form the basis for departmental administrative sanction.
However, Officer Ashley Coon, neither the other two SWAT Officers involved—Timothy Brewer and Jason Rader—have been disciplined or reprimanded in the incident. They weren’t even placed on administrative leave pending investigation, nor is it clear who ordered the three men to place an explosive device on the front door as the preliminary action in attempting to serve the warrants on Mark Capps. As Saving Country Music has covered previously, the way the warrants were served was also against Tennessee Law, and Nashville’s Community Oversight Board has addressed further issues of how the matter was handled.
The Tennessean also reports in the March 15th article, “Capps, 54, was believed to have held his stepdaughter and wife at gunpoint before they were able to escape to a nearby police precinct. Warrants for kidnapping and aggravated assault were issued.”
But The Tennessean seems to be either unaware of, or unwilling to report the presence of a third individual in the house at the time, which can be corroborated by both the publicly-available warrants, and statements from both the Metro Nashville Public Information Office and the TBI.
On January 18th, Saving Country Music confirmed that an officer for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was in the home when the alleged kidnappings and threats occurred, and that the officer not only did not act in the situation, but was able to leave for work while the wife and stepdaughter were allegedly being held at gunpoint in an active kidnapping. When the TBI Officer left the home, he did not report the incident to either local police, or superiors at the TBI headquarters where he works.
While Police Chief John Drake was talking with the editorial board of The Tennessean, why did they not ask Chief Drake why Police Spokesperson Don Aaron did not divulge the presence of a TBI Officer in the home during the alleged kidnapping during his press conference or incident briefing, how the officer was able to leave if it was a kidnapping situation, and why the officer did not report the crime?
Another question friends of Mark Capps continue to ask is who ordered the SWAT Officers to the front porch, which ultimately led to the shooting and killing of Mark Capps, and why the TBI continues to handle the investigation when it involves one of their own officers, presenting a clear conflict of interest? Why is the Justice Department not looking into the matter like it has for other high-profile police-involved killings?
Mark Capps had no prior criminal history, police had never been called to the house previously, and he never fired a shot in the incident. However, the officer that shot Mark Capps—Officer Ashley Kendall Coon—does have a history of escalatory behavior, including an incident eerily similar to the one where Mark Capps was killed.
Nashville’s NPR affiliate WPLN first reported on February 14th that Officer Coon has filled out at least 20 use-of-force reports over his 14-year career, with each incident reviewed by a supervisor, and deemed appropriate. However, Coon was suspended eight times in the first five years of his tenure on the force for various infractions, including multiple incidents where he allegedly inappropriately touched women while in the line of duty, and another for a dangerous vehicle pursuit of a suspect. Coon has not been suspended since 2013.
Saving Country Music has now obtained the employee file of Officer Ashley Kendall Coon, and can confirm this information, including the incident similar to the Mark Capps killing. On August 14th, 2012, Officer Coon was found to have acted inappropriately during the investigation of a robbery/carjacking. While Officer Coon conducted a “knock and talk” at a neighbor’s house as part of the investigation, a man came to the door with a gun, thinking the officers were potentially intruders.
The Complaint report of the incident states:
Complainant called police and stated that officers had conducted a home invasion on his residence. Complainant stated that officers handcuffed and physically assaulted him. He also claimed that officers broke the door to his residence and damaged his pistol.
Officer Coon advised that the complainant opened the door and pointed a pistol at him. Officer Coon stated that he drew his weapon and attempted to sidestep the complainant while giving commands to drop the pistol. Officer Coon stated that the complainant then took a step out of the residence towards him while continuing to point a pistol at him. Multiple officers were pointing their weapons at the complainant and giving him commands to drop the gun. The complainant lowered his weapon, backed back into the residence and laid the gun on a table. Officer Coon grabbed the subject and pulled him out of the residence, where he was handcuffed.
Potentially similar to the situation with Mark Capps, the homeowner thought it was a home invasion, and grabbed a pistol in self-defense. But unlike the Mark Capps case where mere seconds transpired before he was shot and killed, in the 2012 incident, the homeowner not only drew his weapon, he took a step out of the residence toward the police officers, and they still did not fire.
The Complaint report goes on to state:
The protective sweep occurred immediately after the complainant was handcuffed. Officer Coon called me (Sgt. Pierpoint) and informed me what had occurred once the protective sweep was completed. Once the situation had calmed, officers spoke with the complainant and explained their actions. Officers had initially detained the complainant for arrest due to the aggravated assault on Officer Coon. However, they decided not to follow through on the arrest once they began speaking with the complainant and realized his mental state.
Officer Coon was found guilty of “Deficient or Inefficient Performance of Duties,” that he “Demonstrated inefficiency, negligence, or incompetence in the performance of duties” and “Faulty decision making or poor judgement” according to the investigation. He was suspended for four days due to the incident.
Though the situations were different—Mark Capps was considered to be potentially armed and dangerous, and the “knock and talk” incident did not involve a known suspect—Officer Coon did not extend the same courtesy to Mark Capps as he did to the homeowner, which was to give him the time to obey commands before opening fire. Even then, Coon was still reprimanded and suspended in the incident due to poor judgement. Meanwhile, no corrective action has been taken in the Mark Capps killing.
Saving Country Music has reached out to the Nashville chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police for comment about the conduct of Officer Coon in the killing of Mark Capps, but they have not returned phone calls.
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An online petition has been set up demanding answers for the killing of Mark Capps. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations says the investigation into the killing of Mark Capps is ongoing. Saving Country Music will continue to report on the incident.
March 22, 2023 @ 9:28 am
Here’s my question: when he fell asleep at sunup, why didn’t the wife and daughter try to pin him down and tie his hands up? Or barricade him in his room after removing his weapons? While I don’t know what pets they have a dogs leash can be used to make a good tie. The fact that they left him untied asleep and went to the police makes it seem it might be a case of him being taken out.
March 22, 2023 @ 11:16 am
An even better question: Why did NOT sworn TBI officer Noah Silva, who was there during the entire ordeal (and was allowed to leave for work) NOT attempt to diffuse or end the situation ?
He could have saved Mark’s life by arresting him, taking his weapon, calling for authorities when he left and Mark was drugged and ready to fall asleep, reporting his compromised physical condition to ANY authority when he left. As far as we can tell this UNREPORTED person that MNPD has yet to acknowledge did NOTHING. The alleged peril that his girlfriend was in that morning would prompt ANYONE to advise the authorities….unless there were reasons Noah Silva had for not doing so.
March 22, 2023 @ 11:30 am
Captain Bellmeyer – exactly. Things just do not add up, do they? And that is not even being discussed anywhere except here. NO ONE has brought up that little nugget except Trigger. It is very germane and important. It directly affected the outcome of this situation, in my humble opinion. That and the mishandling of the contact with Mark. Total BUNGLE!! So a man in pajamas opening his front door is not necessarily “ambushing” police, now is he? And let’s not forget he was ALONE in the house at the time…..he was a danger to no one but himself. IN HIS PAJAMAS!!! the MNPD response was totally unnecessary and WRONG. Sorry, Chief Drake. But you are wrong on this one.
March 22, 2023 @ 7:31 pm
It’s certainly not the two women’s job to try to tie him up or even to grab his gun, as that would have meant approaching him and perhaps waking him. The wife and step-daughter had no obligations to act courageously in this matter. They had the right to quietly exit the house if they felt that that was their safest course of action.
Now, that does not mean that the truthfulness of their accounts should not be questioned. It should. I would certainly hope that the investigators questioned the women and also the TBI officer Silva, separately and independently, and got detailed accounts from them about the events that transpired.
Anyway, the issue is whether Officer Coon should have attempted to diffuse the situation, rather than escalate to the point where he felt he had to execute Mark Capps. Whether the two women were completely truthful or gave an exaggerated account doesn’t really change the judgment on Officer Coon.
March 22, 2023 @ 10:13 am
Thanks so much for your awesome reporting, as always, Trigger. Thank you for keeping this fight for justice for Mark alive. Still so many unanswered questions. We are not stopping our quest for justice. It is just mind-numbing how NO press or media outlets want to try to get answers or investigate what is going on here. I am a fan of Chief Drake’s but I am very disappointed in his comments here. There WERE mistakes made – they did NOT follow their own policy/procedure. How can he say that they followed procedure? What procedure? To be judge-jury-executioner? Police are supposed to be de-escalators. The military are escalators that respond with deadly force every time. This was not a police action – this was a MILITARY style action. And I agree – WHO GAVE THE COMMAND? It will be interesting to see what the DA will do with the TBI report. And how can that report be unbiased when ONE OF THEIR OWN OFFICERS failed to do his frikkin’ job, and report the incident, which could have changed the outcome completely. He is culpable. Why is that being swept under the rug as not important? HE WAS THERE AT 3AM WHEN THE ALLEGED KIDNAPPING AND THREATS OCCURED!!! And then he breezes out the door and goes to work business-as-usual at 6:30 and tells no one of this event that was bad enough to get Mark killed? Really? I don’t buy it…WE WANT ANSWERS AND WE WILL GET THEM!! Mark deserved better.
March 22, 2023 @ 11:43 am
“However, Coon was suspended eight times in the first five years of his tenure on the force for various infractions, including multiple incidents where he allegedly inappropriately touched women while in the line of duty, and another for a dangerous vehicle pursuit of a suspect. Coon has not been suspended since 2013.”
Sure sounds like Coon was in foul trouble, for his wide arrary of harassment and aggressive behavior, so the refs decided to hold off on calling any more fouls on him, so that they would not have to eject him.
March 22, 2023 @ 12:45 pm
Switch the ethnicities of the players in the photo above, and CNN is calling this a hate crime and systematic racism.
March 22, 2023 @ 2:57 pm
A black mentally ill man in Virginia was recently killed while in police/hospital custody. It’s made the news, even in Great Britain, but so far the response online from left leaning websites and social media is shockingly minimal.
Well, not exactly shocking to me, since I’m bipolar myself and most people I know are liberals…
So I’d just add that mental illness is another big factor.
March 22, 2023 @ 2:36 pm
A lot of covering up going on here. It should never be police policy to try to put a explosive device on a door as the first thing you do in a domestic situation. The swat team had no reason to be there. Local sheriff’s and officers do these type of things all the time without having a swat team to help them. I’m wondering if it’s possible that this officer that was inside was actually the one calling the shots on this. Maybe it was his ideal for the swat team and maybe there was never a plan for capps to walk away from this. Maybe it’s just hyperbole but that’s what happens when it appears something is being swept under the rug. I also always thought it was procedure for an officer who took someones life to be put on some leave. Really off that isn’t the case here.
March 23, 2023 @ 12:09 pm
Au contraire. As wrong as the covert SWAT attempt was, had the door been blown off, Mark would no doubt be alive now. In that procedure the door is blasted inward and the person of interest is either distracted, knocked down or otherwise neutralized.
Never mind tear gas, never mind a phone call or text, never mind a bullhorn. For the wrong reasons, the door blown off its hinges would have resulted in Mark getting help.
March 23, 2023 @ 2:39 pm
They might still have shot him. Wasn’t any reason to shoot him far as info known. We have those things here with known dangerous people and they don’t resort to such behavior. All without anybody dying.
March 23, 2023 @ 3:32 pm
Luckyoldsun…..Coon’s job was not to do anything but provide “cover” for SWAT officer Rader, who was adhering the explosive tape along Mark’s front door. Coon was not there to negotiate or do anything other than use deadly force if he felt Mark was a threat – which is what he did. MNPD said this was part of a “distraction” technique that they use – which is just ridiculous. Mark was not a danger to anyone but himself at this point. He was in his frikkin’ PJ’s when he opened the door. I have always said that I believe Coon was looking down at Rader and when Mark opened the door, it startled Coon and he reacted with the deadly force that he felt he needed. But I want to see PROOF that Mark did anything that was considered a threat. How can you yell a command at someone and when they comply, you kill them? You can’t yell “SHOW ME YOUR HANDS” and when they move their hands to comply, you shoot and kill them. Just unnecessary. Bottom line – they did not follow MNPD’s own protocol for de-escalation (there was NONE) or follow TN state law. They need to be held accountable and so does Noah for his inaction. He could have changed the outcome.
March 23, 2023 @ 5:11 pm
Still way too many questions unanswered! We will not be satisfied until the truth is presented and proper action taken. Justice must be served.
March 24, 2023 @ 3:48 pm
The Tennessean article was written by “Breaking News Reporter” Craig Shoup. Considering the content of his article, it is not exactly “breaking news” that his bio on the Tennessean website proudly declares he is a “Graduate of Bowling Green State University who loves sports, movies and video games.“ Obviously, asking real questions or even remotely attempting to do real journalism, not so much. Would very much enjoy to be enlightened as to his GPA and field of study. A Tennessee police officer was for some mysterious reason in a man’s home, sleeping, at three o’clock in the morning – officially a guest of a guest and a not a guest of the two actual homeowners – and then a Tennessee police officer shoots him to death in that very home a few hours later. Two, if not three, of the four total rounds going through his front door. Sounds like time to go play some Fortnight or something Craig. That sports reporter gig is only a few short years away. Keep up the good work!
March 24, 2023 @ 4:37 pm
“As SWAT Officer Kendall Coon approached the home, Capps appeared at the front door, holding a gun, police said. It was unclear from video of the event whether Capps said anything or pointed his gun at the officers.” – Tennessean Article March 15, 2023
SWAT Officer Kendall Coon, as the body cam footage clearly depicts, was not in the process or action of approaching the home when Mr. Capps “appeared at the front door”. At least two of the men were already on the front porch, with one officer having sufficient time to kneel and begin affixing the explosive charge to the storm door, before Mark opened the inner door. If Mark was actively monitoring cameras, he could have opened the door before or as soon as the police were on his porch. That did not occur. Only AFTER they were present and physically touching his home did he open the inner door – entirely consistent with hearing noises and conducting an investigation of the source. Especially conspicuous is the complete absence of audio as the SWAT team run onto the property and onto the porch in the Critical Incident Briefing video. We are instead presented with completely muted footage and subjected to narration from Don Aaron in its place. How quiet or loud were they? Why does the video footage cut with an obvious gap in time? Did the SWAT officer carrying the explosive trip and fall as he negotiated the steps??
March 25, 2023 @ 10:59 am
Coat – As always you are exactly correct. MNPD knows that they botched this. They know that they did not follow their own protocol/policy. A few of us believe this interview by Chief Drake was a Pre-emptive strike of more ass-covering to come. As Trigger has mentioned, we are getting to the point where the autopsy results either have already come in and not yet released, or where they will be released. If I was a betting person, I would say next week is when the preverbal shit will hit the fan. Let’s see just how much fault the TBI will find here. And we want PROOF that Mark had a gun when he opened the door. And even if he did – it is his right to go to his door legally armed when he sees three heavily armed men approaching his door. Let’s remember that they have no true distinguishing marks on the FRONT of their SWAT uniforms/body armor – it is on the back. Mark could only see the FRONT of them…..right? 3 men dressed in all black coming to your front door with AR15 style rifles? I would be armed, too. He had a legal right to open that door with gun in hand and he also had a right to be given time to obey a command and not be shot dead while trying to obey such command (even if it was the wrong command….if he had a gun….wouldn’t you think Coon would have yelled “drop the weapon” not “show me your hands?”) by a trigger happy SWAT officer who was reacting out of being startled by him opening the door when they didn’t expect it. And none of this even addresses the fact that a TBI officer left the house that morning WHILE the women were allegedly being held hostage (Aaron reported that the women said Mark woke them up at 3am and they “escaped” when he finally passed out/fell asleep at 10am but Noah Silva went to work, business as usual at 6:30am). Let’s not forget that…..I think it is one of the most important parts of this whole messed up situation. And it is my understanding from Mark that the TBI officer lived there when the step-daughter was in town on breaks from school. Not really a “guest” but more like an additional occupant of the home. (which was also another point of contention)
March 25, 2023 @ 4:56 pm
MNPD Manual
“11.10.170 Administration of First Aid
A. Whenever an employee is involved in a use of force incident in which a person sustains injuries or requests evaluation and/or treatment, the appropriate first aid shall be administered as quickly as reasonably possible either by the employee or others at the scene, by transporting the injured person to the hospital, and/or by summoning emergency medical personnel.“
Any idea when first aid was administered or any attempt to help Mark took place? They stood over him for a long pause before Coon entered the home. Seems to me they should have immediately been on the radio requesting medical assistance and notifying command that shots were fired.
March 25, 2023 @ 6:15 pm
Coon blew him away with 4 rounds from an AR-15 (or something like it) at near point-blank range. Capps was as dead as Monty Python’s parrot.
(In any event, you can be sure that “as quickly as reasonably possible” is interpeted to mean after the police secure the vicinity, make sure there’s no other threat, etc. You’re not going to get them for that.
March 25, 2023 @ 7:04 pm
I have not seen anything about First Aid being administered, or really anything in the moments after the body camera footage that has been released stops, except that Mark Capps was pronounced dead at the scene. One thing that was brought up by the Nashville Community Oversight Board is how quickly Mark’s body was removed from the premises since he was dead, and it could have affected the investigation.
March 25, 2023 @ 8:19 am
Thank you for staying on this story, Kyle, and reporting facts and updates as you find them. I fear this is going to be swept under the rug leaving Mark’s family, friends and loved ones devastated with no closure.
March 25, 2023 @ 3:54 pm
MNPD Manual
“Special Response Tactical Unit (SRT)
The primary objective of the SRT unit is to provide a unit of SWAT trained and equipped personnel to actively pursue violent high-risk criminals who challenge the quality of life of the residents in Nashville and to provide a safer response to high-risk and unusual situations in the community. The SRT unit will have primary responsibility of:
1. Aggressively pursuing violent felons who are repeat violent offenders or difficult to find and/or arrest, by tracking down, apprehending, and then serving their outstanding arrest warrants.
2. Aggressively pursuing violent felons by serving high-risk search and arrest warrants.
3. Providing the department with a team of tactical officers to assist in high-risk preplanned actions.”
Point One. Mark was not an individual who had ever been charged with and convicted of any felony crimes at the time of his death. Thus, Mark was not a “felon”, much less a “violent felon”, and most certainly not a “repeat violent offender”. Additionally, he was in his own home when killed by SRT, so not exactly “difficult to find”.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “Aggressively” as:
(1) in an angry and violent way
(2) in a determined and forceful way in order to achieve success or win
Point Two. “Aggressively…serving high-risk arrest warrants.” Judging the resulting situation by the criterion of the first Cambridge Dictionary definition, the arrest warrants were most certainly served “in an angry and violent way”. Mark opened his door, completely unsolicited, and was instantly confronted by a man pointing a loaded lethal weapon at him, screaming at him, and then almost immediately firing four rounds into him at point blank range.
Point Three: It is unknown if the SRT Unit was actually planning on attempting to serve Mark with his arrest warrants after they planted the explosive charges, but SRT was obviously and unquestionably actively engaged “in high-risk preplanned actions” when they killed him. An attempted “covert operation” in the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight, knowingly full well that the area is surveilled by cameras, and the subject of the arrest warrants is armed and could be/would be actively monitoring them for police presence. If it was a “high-risk” action, it is precisely because it was “preplanned” to be high risk. Why would any remotely competent commanding officer place his men in this situation and not expect this result? Keep this in mind, as the MNPD Manual explicitly forbids the following:
“Employees shall not:
Knowingly place themselves in a position where they would be in jeopardy of being struck by a suspect vehicle or knowingly stand and/or step into the path of a vehicle, creating circumstances where the use of deadly force may be necessary.”
Yet, in Mark’s case, the commanding officer knowingly and intentionally placed his subordinate officers in a position where they would be in jeopardy and created circumstances where the use of deadly force would be necessary. Is it a coincidence that Mark was killed by a police officer who had previously been reprimanded and suspended for “Deficient or Inefficient Performance of Duties: 1. Demonstrated inefficiency, negligence, or incompetence in the performance of duties and Faulty decision making or poor judgment” in a previous encounter with an armed homeowner? Is it a coincidence that it was this very officer who was given the primary and lead role in providing protection to his team member who was placed in a completely exposed and compromised position should the suspect “somehow” discover him? With not even the option to use a ballistic shield to provide defense, but only an instrument of death?
The Nashville Metropolitan Police Department asserted in all of the affidavits (but identified in the texts solely as the “boyfriend”) that Mark used a gun to hold a Tennessee police officer hostage and repeatedly threatened to kill him – all the while simultaneously and inexplicably refusing to acknowledge this officer’s presence or existence to the media on every occasion. We necessarily are forced to circle back and reconsider the second Cambridge Dictionary definition of the term “Aggressively” – a term used prominently and repeatedly to describe the role of SRT in Nashville Law Enforcement – “in a determined and forceful way in order to achieve success or win”. Was Mark’s death simply the result of a legitimate, but incompetently planned and botched, attempt to take him into custody? Or could it be, most especially considering the now confirmed involvement of a Tennessee police officer and the subsequent ludicrous and ridiculous contortions of the MNPD to vanish him like a magician’s rabbit, that Mark was never meant to walk out of that house…
March 26, 2023 @ 7:57 am
I’m starting to think that everybody has overlooked the obvious series of logistical fallacies that has led us to some erroneous conclusion that this was a botched attempt, mishandling, or series of bad decisions, when, quite frankly, I think that this was a top down approach to eliminate Mark
First off, it’s very rare, for any sane, rational person who doesn’t have a history of mental issues and needing police involvement to threaten their family, especially their family, with a loaded gun. This is the first thing that seems very out of character for Mark.
Secondly, if it were in character at all, it makes no sense why his family, would immediately jump ship and involve the police. Usually families were they sort of violent outburst of common. Don’t involve the police. Especially given the stigma around doing that in this modern era. Because everybody knows how much the toxic white trash dysfunctional families hate the police.
So it seems weird that his family immediately bailed. Once he was asleep, and they were presumably safe, and immediately involve the police, especially given that there was a confirmed police officer right there hours, previous. The fact that this is all going down in the middle of the night is especially unusual. In fact, that’s the first red flag to me is that this is apparently all happening in the middle of the night when the rest of the civilized world is asleep. I would argue that some of these events didn’t even happen in the first place. And that Mark’s family is stretching some truths.
How’s his family, you would think that once he was passed out and they could remove the gun, that they could hide the gun and wait for him to wake up. I’m not saying they have a specific obligation to do that. I’m just saying that most families do not resort to immediately involving the police in situations like this.
So that sounds to me, like there is something screwy about his family, possibly to the point where they would want the man eliminated
The involvement of an officer in the home is another red flag. And frankly, I don’t believe that his presence was not made known. I think that he was part of pulling the strings along side, the family. And that’s how it was escalated from a normal police involvement to a SWAT team involvement with a presumed intentional use of lethal force.
Frankly, rather than investigating the police, I think we should be investigating the family of the deceased. Because it sounds to me like they were complicit in conspiring to execute the man by Officer.
Has anyone bothered to check if he had any specific policies or payouts on file in the event of an untimely death?
Because, as far as I can tell, his family conspired with an influential officer to set up a police killing to pop, payoff, and profit on the life insurance
March 26, 2023 @ 4:00 pm
I have been rewatching the body cam footage. Some thoughts:
In the reflection on the door, take note of how Officer Coon’s front left leg and the rest of his body changes position during the encounter. Once Mark opens the door, Officer Coon’s leading left leg steps right and he leans forward. Simultaneous with these movements he says, “Show me your hands”. It appears that Mark then begins to attempt to close the door. Officer Coon’s response to THIS action is to immediately step left and fire at Mark four times. At minimum, at least two of these four bullets can be substantiated as having been fired into/through the closing door. I initially thought that Coon’s step to the left may have been defensive in nature – a means to minimize his exposure to a possible weapon in Mark’s right hand. However, it appears to me – especially considering it coincides exactly with Mark beginning to close the door – it was more likely an attempt by Officer Coon to get a better angle on Mark to make the shot. Not an attempt to minimize his exposure to Mark, but an effort to maximize Mark’s exposure to him and his rifle.
Personally, were to open my front door and be suddenly confronted, I would probably close it. If I realized it were Police, I would definitely close it, lock it, and then demand to see a warrant.
If Mark was, in fact, killed by Officer Coon for simply attempting to close his door, then he was murdered.
March 26, 2023 @ 4:53 pm
I’m telling you, the family and the tbi officer conspired to execute mark Capps by cop
I bet those ladies got rich on life insurance
March 30, 2023 @ 3:09 pm
If that were true, then they would definitely have the money to hire a top litigation attorney and pursue anyone who makes such claims publicly – especially against those who lack substantive evidence to substantiate them… Just sayin’.