An internal investigation at the Knoxville Police Department has resulted in the suspension of the city's police chief after investigators uncovered years of flirtatious text messages between him and an officer who was already under investigation for a separate workplace affair.
Officer Jasmine Reed had been exchanging inappropriate messages with Chief Paul Noel, including messages in which Noel invited her to travel out of town with him, according to reporting by WBIR's Katie Inman cited by Fox News. There were also reportedly statements about him wearing a wedding ring but that he plays and is careful. Noel was suspended for one month and remains under investigation. The text exchanges did not indicate a physical relationship between the two.
Reed's other investigation involved a different and more extensive set of findings. She was investigated and suspended after being found to have had an affair with married Lieutenant Keith DeBow. According to WVLT, the two had sex on the job. The affair also included visits to a storage room, which investigators documented using surveillance video. Reed reportedly told investigators that she and DeBow entered the room together 37 times for a combined total of 8 hours and 7 minutes.
DeBow's wife, Captain Tammy DeBow, also worked for the department. She was suspended after she discovered the affair and sent text messages to Reed about it. Her suspension was tied to the fact that her rank as captain made that response inappropriate.
Keith DeBow retired before the internal complaint was formally filed and was not investigated as a result. All three were found to have committed workplace violations but no criminal wrongdoing.
Reed's troubles extend beyond her personal conduct. She has also been investigated for her job performance and was found to have mishandled evidence on as many as 20 separate occasions.
The investigation into Chief Noel remains ongoing.
