FBI investigating Chattanooga police officer who resigned last week

The FBI is investigating a case involving a Chattanooga Police Department officer who resigned earlier this month just days after he was placed on paid administrative leave.

A list of internal affairs investigations involving Bryan Moody III shows an investigation was opened on May 8 that listed "conformance to law" as an open allegation. It is unclear from records what that alleged criminal activity might have been.

Responding to a request from the Times Free Press for the investigation report, an employee at the Chattanooga city attorney's office wrote an email explaining the records were being withheld because the investigation was ongoing.

"The City has reviewed your request and has determined that the records requested are exempt from disclosure under the law," the email read." [The] FBI is investigating allegations on Officer Bryan Moody at this time."

On Friday a police spokeswoman, Elisa Myzal, confirmed Moody was placed on administrative leave for unknown reasons on May 5, but he resigned shortly after on May 9. She declined to comment further on the investigation.

"Because the Internal Affairs investigation remains open at this time, I cannot comment on the reason why Bryan Moody was placed on administrative leave," she wrote in an email.

A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to confirm or deny whether the bureau was investigating Moody.

Five years ago, Moody was exonerated after another internal affairs investigation, that time in connection with the fatal shooting of a man who broke into a home.

Moody was one of four officers who responded to a break-in on the 1300 block of Florida Street just after midnight on Aug. 12, 2012. The officers surrounded the home within minutes and opened fire when Robert Lovell, 31, jumped out a back window and pointed a shotgun at officers.

Lovell was struck twice - once in the chest and once in the thigh.

He died at the scene, and the homicide was deemed justified the following month.

Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow him on Twitter @emmettgienapp.

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