Residents demand accountability after Johnson City settles civil case; commission outlines reforms and limits on public comment

Dozens of residents pressed Johnson City officials on April 3 about a recent multimillion-dollar settlement and the handling of sexual-assault cases by the city’s police department, urging independent investigations, public town halls and clearer communication about reforms.

Speakers at length described anger, trauma and distrust after the city disclosed it will pay a civil settlement related to the convictions of a former officer. David Adams told the commission the $28,000,000 settlement eclipses other accomplishments and urged a full internal investigation; other speakers including Victoria Hewlett, Emma Grama Sherlin, Brad Batt and Abigail Honeycutt asked for town halls, advisory boards, third-party audits and public accountability for officials and officers implicated in reports cited by residents.

Mayor John Hunter addressed the packed meeting and acknowledged the community’s concern while noting legal limits on public discussion. Hunter said federal and state investigators had completed inquiries: "we learned from General Steve Finney that the TBI and the FBI have completed their investigation of our police department and found no credible evidence of corruption, bribery, or criminal activity," he said. Hunter also said one lawsuit has been settled and two remain open, which constrains what city officials can publicly address.

The mayor outlined actions the commission and staff have taken since the issues surfaced: commissioning an independent review (the Daigle Group report), hiring new department leadership, approving funds to hire additional officers and create a dedicated special victims unit, and providing funds to the Washington County Family Justice Center and to add a forensic interviewer at the Children’s Advocacy Center. Hunter and staff said the department has implemented revised sexual-assault procedures recommended in the outside review and revamped case-tracking.

Public commenters called for further steps: immediate internal affairs examinations, testing unprocessed sexual-assault kits, a third-party audit of the evidence lockup and town halls that include victim-service providers. Several speakers criticized prior public remarks by city staff and requested a more sustained public engagement schedule and mailed public-safety reporting. A number of commenters tied reputational and economic concerns — including potential harm to tourism, recruitment and investment — to the city’s national attention.

City officials reiterated a willingness to meet the public and to pursue reforms while noting ongoing litigation and a court gag order restrict what staff can say in public meetings. The commission recessed briefly after the item; no formal policy vote was taken on the settlement item during the meeting.