A juvenile court in Rutherford County was illegally jailing and detaining kids for 16 years before a former juvenile delinquent-turned-lawyer came up with a plan to take it on. This four-part narrative podcast builds on a joint investigation by

Displaced III

Jun 15th, 2022 6m 19s

(t’s a matter of weeks before the last residents of the Riverchase Apartments have to move out before it is demolished and rebuilt. But trying to find a home has come with extreme difficulties, especially for families.

Displaced II

Jun 3rd, 2022 6m 8s

Moving can be hugely disruptive. But housing organizers are trying to minimize the impact for residents of the soon-to-be-demolished Riverchase Apartments in Nashville. In the second part of our series, learn how the developer and organizers ar

Displaced I

May 25th, 2022 6m 32s

One by one, the brightly painted Riverchase Apartments in Nashville are getting boarded up for redevelopment. But the deterioration has been apparent to residents and even government inspectors for years. So why hasn’t the city been able to pro

Coming soon: "Displaced," a three-part series

May 24th, 2022 1m 27s

Each day, thousands drive past the brightly painted Riverchase Apartments just across from downtown Nashville. They’ve provided a rare combination of affordable units and skyline views. But one by one, they’ve been getting boarded up, and major

Rethinking The Police Academy III

Mar 25th, 2022 8m 33s

For years, Nashville’s police department has struggled to recruit women and people of color. That's eroded trust with many communities who want officers that look like them. Now, a new administration is making changes at its training academy. A

Rethinking The Police Academy II

Mar 24th, 2022 8m 22s

Research suggests the atmosphere at a police academy can affect how officers do their jobs, as well as who makes it from the classroom to the beat.Go deeper into this series at WPLN.org/Academy.

Rethinking The Police Academy I

Mar 23rd, 2022 9m 57s

About 1,000 police recruits have dropped out of Nashville’s police academy in recent years. Women and people of color dropped out at the highest rates. So, why are so many of those recruits failing their training courses? Or flat-out giving up

Behind The Blue Wall, Part 3: MNPD's #MeToo Moment

Sep 30th, 2021 24m 39s

In WPLN News' latest investigation, we hold up a mirror to see how officers treat their own.

Behind The Blue Wall, Part 2: A 'Toxic' Culture

Sep 30th, 2021 23m 35s

In WPLN News' latest investigation, we hold up a mirror to see how officers treat their own.

Behind The Blue Wall, Part 1: A Captain's Fall From Grace

Sep 30th, 2021 11m 55s

In WPLN News' latest investigation, we hold up a mirror to see how officers treat their own.

Coming Soon: Behind The Blue Wall

Sep 27th, 2021 3m 58s

In this series, we're going to tell you about what's been described as a toxic culture of misconduct and retaliation within the Metro Nashville Police Department. And the disciplinary system that has allowed that culture to thrive.

Epilogue: A Win For No One

Jul 26th, 2021 35m 43s

Three years ago today, a white Nashville police officer shot and killed a Black man while he ran away with a gun in his hand. He was supposed to stand trial for murder this July. Instead, he took a last-minute plea deal. And the victim’s family

What Happened Inside The Courtroom And Out As Delke Took A Plea Deal

Jul 6th, 2021 6m 25s

Deadly Force host Samantha Max was in court as Andrew Delke took a plea deal. She speaks with WPLN host Nina Cardona about the deal, how the sides agreed to it, and how people have reacted.

Plea Deal: What We Know So Far About Andrew Delke's Agreement

Jul 2nd, 2021 4m 27s

The first Metro Nashville Police Department officer charged with murder for an on-duty killing will not stand trial after all. Jury selection for Andrew Delke’s trial was slated to begin next week. But his attorney says his client has agreed

Expert Interview: What To Expect During Murder Trial Of Nashville Police Officer

Jul 1st, 2021 6m 14s

Jim Todd has been practicing law for more than a quarter of a century. And as a defense attorney who also spent more than a decade in the Nashville District Attorney’s office, he’s seen the legal system from both sides. But next week, it won't

Expert Interview: Criminologist Says Murder Charge For Police Is Rare

Jun 30th, 2021 5m 45s

After Officer Andrew Delke was charged with murder in 2019, host Samatha Max called up Philip Stinson of Bowling Green State University to talk through how rare it is for an officer to face such a serious charge. Delke is the first Nashville po

Expert Interview: Nashville Commander Discusses How Police Are Trained To Use Force

Jun 29th, 2021 5m 53s

Commander Scott Byrd took on the role of Metro Nashville Police's director of training during a leadership change last year, and he's tried to establish himself as a reformer who’s committed to improving how Nashville police officers are traine

One Year Later: Catching You Up On What's Happened Since Deadly Force Launched

Jun 28th, 2021 4m 6s

Deadly Force host Samantha Max chats with WPLN host Marianna Bacallao about what’s happened in Nashville since the podcast aired last July, including the naming of a new police chief and the shootings of five men by police. She also discusses h

Pre-Trial Hearings: Prosecution And Defense Spar Over Evidence

Jun 15th, 2021 6m 13s

Metro Nashville Police Officer Andrew Delke is back in court today for the third in a series of hearings leading up to his murder trial next month. His attorney has called multiple witnesses and introduced new evidence to try to prove his shoot

Episode 4: The Cost Of Change

Jul 20th, 2020 37m 21s

Cities across the U.S. are grappling with how to reform their police departments — or start over altogether — as one killing of Black person by police after another makes headlines. But in Nashville, like in most places, change has never been q

Episode 3: The Last Straw

Jul 20th, 2020 33m 50s

When Officer Andrew Delke killed Daniel Hambrick, he became the first Nashville police officer to be charged with murder for an on-duty shooting. But he's not the first to kill a civilian, nor the first white officer to kill a Black man. In thi

Episode 2: Action Beats Reaction

Jul 20th, 2020 32m 7s

Metro Nashville Police Officer Andrew Delke says he was following his training when he shot and killed Daniel Hambrick during a foot chase. So do his attorneys and supporters at the police union. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the de

Episode 1: The Intersection

Jul 20th, 2020 28m 25s

On July 26, 2018, the lives of two 25-year-old men crossed paths at a stop sign. That chance encounter would take one life and forever change another. And it would lead to the first murder charges brought against a Nashville police officer for

Trailer

Jun 22nd, 2020 4m 33s

A nationwide movement has erupted in recent weeks, calling for drastic changes in law enforcement. These systemic issues aren't new. WPLN News is launching a new podcast, Deadly Force, which investigates how officers are trained to use force, a