In an email addressed to the interim city manager, city attorney and city clerk, councilman Pete Souza calls requests advice concerning possible liability against the city for a number of recent actions that he says are coordinated by councilman Jesse Kerley.
Souza's email in it's entirety.
Background, facts on the morning
of Sept 30, 2016 in chronological order
(1) Councilman Kerley, Interim City
Manager Hill, Jerry Kerley Water Treatment Manager
(Department head), and City Fixed Base
Operator ( Crossville Aero, Sole Proprietorship ), and
Airport Manager Chris Bennett are
having breakfast together at Edgewood Restaurant
approximately between 7:30 AM to 8:30
AM on this date. (Source multiple
witnesses) Now is the time to dispute
this if any one cares to or if I am in error.
(2) At about 8:45 AM Jerry Kerley and
Chris Bennett enter the Airport. Mr Bennett
gos to the vicinity of the Storage area
Hanger and returns with a airport employee
William Harwell wherein Jerry Kerley
and he leaves together going East on hwy 70
towards town and the site of reported
stolen property. Source airport security video.
(3) Jerry Kerley and a unidentified
person is caught on video with a eye witness
scaling the roof of a building about
fifteen minutes later. Source citizen video.
(4) Jerry Kerley and person identified
as William Harwell airport employee return
and go through the secondary security
gate that is left open to the vicinity of our
new Million dollar hanger ( that is
cost of construction and engineering ), and then
leaves. Source airport security
camera.
(5) On 30 September Jerry Kerley's time
card signed by Joe Kerley reflects he
was on city time (source time card).
While I am sure Jerry Kerley puts a lot
of time in for the city and does a
admiral job in the treatment facilities that
has no bearing that he was on city time
at the time of the thefts.
(6) The stolen property was recovered
at the city airport by the District Attorneys
Office the following Monday.
Now Mr Ridley I am going to haul
this right out in the open and by open I
mean transparent open. I come to think
of the events of Septmber 30 th
as BLACK SEPTEMBER for the city of
Crossville. The events of this date
culminates in a long list of events
that can be argued the city of Crossvile through
the entities of its municipal functions
have participated through city officials
to cause harm to a citizen of our
community.
Where am I going with this ? I am
going to ask you for a closed executive
section for your recommendations to
council. Why ? Because there is no
doubt the events since Mr Rutherford's
dismissal has spiraled out of control.
The black train is coming down the path
and all the rhetoric in the world
and denials is not going to get the
city out of the mess it is in. When the
new council comes aboard they are going
to want answers. I believe when
the EEOC investigation on the city and
members of the officials takes place
there will be a appreciation for
accountability. I also believe there is going
to be a series of law suits against the
city and officials of the city.
Some of the events that have taken
place would be funny if they were not
so serious. It's as though people have
set around and decided what is the
most stupid thing we can do today, or
let's get on a video and audition
for the nations dumbest criminal. But
what has really transpired is persons
involved have discredited the city,
left the city liable, and has brought in
local law enforcement and judicial
entities to deal with stupid. A local
attorney Earl Patton best said what we
have here on a sign, "You can not
fix stupid but you can document it "
or words to that effect. Unfortunately
what we have here is the city officials
doing or as the case might be allowing
this to go on for far to long
(Complacent).
On June 1st I sent a letter to
council outlining Councilman Kerley being
out of control, and targeting people.
On June 2nd the assault took place and no
that issue is not over. Since then we
have had councilman Kerley order people
arrested, he has established a pattern.
This pattern has transpired with
arguably the knowledge of the council.
Lies, shear fabrication, conspiracy
theory, really, tell that to a civil
jury because boys and girls it's coming and
the cost to the tax payers is going to
be the subject for years.
Let's talk about the pattern; (1)
Councilman Kerley's Complaint about the fliers
he is acting on stems allegedly from
complaints of businessmen (never established). He
Pushed a misdemeanor complaint to the
limit, using a zealous personal motive that
transpired a series of events that are
still being impacted on the city. No
one had ever been cited but he pursued
this going directly to the chief and
some of his officers. To this day like
violations are going on with no enforcement.
Constitutionally where is that
equitable under the law (does the council not
remember that part of their oath
required them to uphold the constitution ).
Councilman Kerley used the law
enforcement entity of the city for his own agenda.
The judicial entity comes into play
when a fine of $1,500 dollars is levied for
one violation. That will be
determined by Judge Jonathan Young. If the
appeal falls in favor Randy Blankenship
or the appeal of the issues with the
restraining order are not in the favor
of the city judge the city may have issues. Does
any one on council,think that a noted
constitutional lawyer came up out
of Nashville because he didn't have
something to do. Article VIII of the
constitution "excessive fines
imposed", germane.
Then we have councilman Kerley getting
involved with Chief Shoap over Judge
Ivy Gardners restraining order. That
was none of Councilman Kerley's business.
Protection was the chiefs
responsibility, extenuating legal business is the city attorneys.
Then Councilman Kerley verbally
assaults Chief Shoap on his duties in
reference to the restraining order on
June 3rd in front of a city employee and
the city manager who allows this to
happen. Now you have the judicial
and chief city administrator involved,
yet another city entity. The legislative
side, the law enforcement side, the
judicial side, and the city administrator
all involved in one misdemeanor.
We don't want to stop there lets let
Councilman Kerley continue with his reckless
disregard and continue to pursue his
avenging personal agenda taking with him
collateral damage to the city and other
city employees. Councilman Kerley then
interferes with a investigation on Mr
Blankenship's mother a elderly woman on
oxygen and wants her arrested for
"filing a false police report you all have seen
the correspondence. Why? To get to Mr
Blankenship.
Midnight raids on their house occurs.
?????
Councilman Kerley with witnesses tells
the Chief to arrest Mr Blankenship at a council
meeting because he has insurance and
registration violations. Then he changes that to
Tell Shoap to have sheriff deputies
arrest Mr Blankenship when he leaves city hall. Really like
the chief has operational control over
sheriff deputies. Why not tell the sheriff what to
do, he tells the city police what to do
or tries. (Any one want to guess why the chief left )
All this time Councilman Kerley's buddy
the city manager Steve Hill is allowing this.
Prove it, I will let the Federal
Investigator prove it and the Mr Blankenship's attorney.
If my memory is correct Rod Shoap
turned into the DA's office a statement earlier on all
of this. By the way the vehicle was
properly registered and insured.
Now we come to BLACK SEPTEMBER.
Question how is it Jerry Kerley drives right into
the airport and picks up Mr Harwell
escorted by Chris Bennett ? Maybe it was
just a coincidence. Was the Breakfast
just another of the friends and family plan?
When did the realization of the raid on
Mr Blankenship occur? Or did we now
move to the part where the city airport
and contract employees were used to
facilitate a theft on councilman Kerley
political and personal enemy. Now we
have involved the entity of the city
airport. Well criminal acts have to be proven
beyond a reasonable doubt, civil just
needs a preponderance of evidence. What
is BLACK SEPTEMBER going to cost the
tax payers?
Allegations of theft of Mr Kerley's
signs, really. He got the city police, the sheriffs
office, the DAs office all running
around for what turned out to be not even his signs.
Well he named all of his political
enemies including me, Jim Young, Rod Shoap
as suspects detective Jessie Luke
Kerley also named Blankenship. Councilman
Kerley is out of control because once
again his wild reckless disregard continued
To target Mr Blankenship expanding his
attempt to use law enforcement and the
DA's office to cause harm.
Now we go,to Mr Hill who is enabling
his friend Jessie Kerley and Jerry Kerley
to fall under the protection of the
city managers office. Jerry Kerley
claims he is under a hostile
environment. Would that be because the city
employees see that city conduct
standards,are enforcement differently
for Mr Hills buddy? Really he
participates in stalking and a assault. Jerry
Kerley tells the Mayor he's going to
whip Souza over Blankenship's signs.
Jerry Kerley is charged with stealing
during working hours and takes stolen
property to city property. Any employee
but a Kerley would have been
suspended? The number one question I
get asked by employees is how
come Jerry Kerley can get away with
this and he wonders why other workers are
resentful. Double standards will do
that. Truth is Mr Hill is Jesse Kerley's agent
that was proven when he brought the
Kerley's down to the IT department
on 3 June and interfered with a police
investigation and allowed Jesse Kerley
to bully Rod Shoap! The city manager
had no business interfering with a
police investigation period. At that
point the city manager should have
been suspended. Now the question is
the city manager protected as well.
I think I'll let the federal
investigator determine that.
So now I am asking for Executive
Session to determine Crossville's Potential
liability for Councilman Kerley's
actions. Also I want you to please
advise the council on the roles and
responsibility of the city manager and
what actions is the city manager
supposed to do relative and specifically
On these theft charges and the threat
on me that was told to the mayor.
Also I would like you to,advise the
council about the non compliance
to the open records act I will the city
clerk discuss that with you.
Thank you,
Pete
Sally please give a copy to each
council member, the chief of police,
the Sheriff, and the DA
