It’s bad enough when our Chattanooga Police Department has a cascade of officers accused of sexual assault, rape and other wrongdoing in a span of mere months.
But it is downright horrifying when we also learn that in at least one case of alleged rape, department leaders covered up similar previous incidents – going back to 2015 – leaving the officer in a position to continue abusing the power of his badge again and again.
Times Free Press reporter Mark Pace on Thursday revealed that two now-retired, high-ranking officers may have played a role in covering up years of rape allegations against a younger officer, Desmond Logan.
The decorated officers – retired Assistant Chief Edwin McPherson and retired Capt. Pedro Bacon – and their potential roles in a cover-up are being looked into as part of ongoing rape and possible human rights violations alleged against Logan, who is now under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Logan resigned his police job in January just minutes ahead of a Chattanooga Police Department internal affairs hearing.
Pace’s Thursday report states: “Officials believe McPherson and Bacon were involved in the suppression of records and emailed about their attempts to cover up the accusations, sources told the Times Free Press. However, digital footprints and emails that may confirm the allegations have been withheld for months by the city attorney’s office because they are part of the ongoing federal investigation and criminal investigation by the sheriff’s office, city attorney Phil Noblett said.”