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Officer Michael Singleton decertified after department investigators detail on-duty misconduct and camera-policy violations
Summary
The commission approved decertification for an officer after Millersville Police Department presented findings that the officer deactivated his body camera during a follow-up contact, displayed and deleted explicit images and messages from a departmental device, and engaged in unprofessional conduct while on duty.
The Tennessee POST Commission voted to decertify Michael Singleton after Millersville Police Chief Steven Hill presented the departments investigative findings.
Chief Hill told the commission that during a response to a domestic-incident call, the officer later returned to the residence without body-camera activation, engaged in explicit conversations, displayed an inappropriate image from a personal device and used a department-issued device to send texts that were later deleted. Hill said the officer admitted much of the conduct during the departments interview and the behavior represented a breach of professional standards and department policy.
Singleton spoke to the commission and described his version of events, acknowledging personal stressors, and said some interactions were personal in nature, that he had been providing welfare checks at the request of others, and disputed parts of the departments inventory accounting.
Commissioners questioned whether he had body-worn camera activated while on duty and pressed on the policy breach. After subcommittee consideration, a motion to approve decertification was made and carried.
Quotes from the hearing
"I never had it on," Michael Singleton said when asked why his body-worn camera was not activated during the follow-up contact.
Why this matters
The commission found that an on-duty failure to follow body-worn camera policy and credible allegations of inappropriate on-duty conduct undermined the public trust necessary for certification. Decertification will remove the officer's peace-officer credential and affect future employability in law enforcement roles in Tennessee.
Next steps
Investigators will notify the respondent of the commission's decision and provide information on appeal options and procedural next steps.
