The father of a slain Chattanooga man filed a second federal lawsuit against the Chattanooga Police Department and former Detective Karl Fields on Monday, alleging Fields made up charges against him and fabricated evidence after he questioned Fields’ investigation.
Gary Taylor’s son Antonio, 28, was killed in 2010 during a shooting at his Juandale Trail home. According to the complaint, Fields was assigned as lead investigator on the case. Gary Taylor, who lives in Atlanta and is representing himself, told the Times Free Press in 2014 that Fields failed to talk to witnesses and didn’t collect bullet casings from the crime scene.
Fields was fired from the department in April after an internal affairs hearing found him responsible for conduct unbecoming an officer and neglect of duty. A woman who was the victim of a sexual assault that Fields was investigating accused him of sexually harassing her during the course of the investigation. The victim in that case also filed a civil lawsuit against the city and Fields.
Taylor said he brought his concerns to former Mayor Ron Littlefield and to the police department, but they fell on deaf ears. In the complaint, he writes that he wanted to “warn city officials of the potential dangers Detective Karl Fields posed to the public.” This enraged Fields, Taylor wrote, and prompted him to seek retribution.
In December 2012, police took out a warrant against Taylor on a charge of harassment. Taylor says those charges were fabricated in an attempt to hurt him.