A former Knoxville police officer’s domestic assault conviction is on track to disappear from public view, and that quiet paperwork move is kicking up loud questions about how Tennessee handles violent conduct by law enforcement.
The case of former Knoxville Police Department officer John Pickens, which involved a criminal plea, internal discipline, and a deal to wipe the conviction from public records, is drawing criticism from victims’ advocates and local officials who say the system keeps the public in the dark when it matters most.
Pickens, a longtime KPD officer, pleaded guilty this month to domestic assault after prosecutors said he choked his wife, according to Knox News. That conviction, and the way prosecutors and police officials handled it, has become a flashpoint over how criminal justice and police discipline intersect…