NASHVILLE — Specialized Investigations Division (SID) detectives Monday identified the man who placed a plastic game target in the front yard of Nashville NAACP President Keith Caldwell Saturday afternoon.
Roy E. Brown, 63, is the man recorded by a surveillance camera reaching over Caldwell’s fence and placing the target in his yard at 4:35 p.m. Saturday. After obtaining the surveillance footage from a nearby property this morning, detectives located Brown at 10th Avenue North and Scovel Street.
Brown told detectives that he has known Caldwell for a number of years and thought the plastic game target resembled a flower that would look nice in Caldwell’s yard. Caldwell this afternoon signed a state misdemeanor citation to prosecute Brown for intimidation. Brown’s booking date on the citation is August 14.
The threat assessment component of the Specialized Investigations Division launched its investigation Sunday after Caldwell expressed his concern that the target may have been placed in his yard as an act of intimidation due to his role as Nashville NAACP president or due to a dispute a member of his family was having with another individual.
The Communications Center received a call from Caldwell at 8:47 p.m. Saturday requesting to speak with an officer concerning a target on a stand in his front yard. An officer responded at 8:53 p.m. and spoke to Caldwell. There was no note or anything else with the target.
There was a disagreement between Caldwell and the initial responding officer, Eric McCoy from the North Precinct, after McCoy, who graduated from the MNPD Academy in 2018, said the target looked “cool.” McCoy reported that Caldwell returned to his residence and contact between them ceased. A Matter of Record report was subsequently completed. Extra patrolling in Caldwell’s neighborhood began Saturday night.
In an interview with the Office of Professional Accountability today, McCoy said that he meant no disrespect to Caldwell and understands how his words were misconstrued. Caldwell and McCoy have agreed to meet each other in a mediation session at the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center to talk through their meeting on Saturday night.
On Sunday morning, the MNPD followed up with Caldwell. There were cordial conversations with a North Precinct day shift officer, a sergeant, the on-duty Sunday captain, and an investigator from SID.
The plastic target with protruding bristles, which is part of an indoor/outdoor children’s game available from Wal-Mart, is being stored at the MNPD’s Property & Evidence Facility.
