'Interesting': Steven Crowder points out the problem after Nashville PD puts seven officers on desk duty over manifesto leak

The Metro Nashville Police Department has placed seven officers on administrative duty after several pages of the Covenant School killer's manifesto were leaked.

In a statement, the police department claimed that moving the officers to desk duty is not punishment for the leak.

"Seven individuals are on administrative assignment (absolutely non-punitive) to protect the integrity of the active, progressing investigation," a police department spokesman said. "All seven have full police power. We are not identifying any of the seven by name. Not fair to them."

The department, however, did not explain the connection between the seven officers and the leak.

The department's manual states that officers may be placed on administrative assignment when their supervisor has approved them "to be absent from their normal assigned tour of duty and no other type status is appropriate." Administrative assignment, the manual explains, is typically reserved for officers who have been involved "in a use of force that is under investigation." It does not state other reasons for administrative duty.

On Monday, Steven Crowder published three pages of that screed, which he obtained through a source in the police department. The pages included the killer's "death day" schedule and the killer's hate-fueled ramblings.

The leak set off a firestorm of controversy, and Mayor Freddie O'Connell (D) demanded an investigation into how the pages were leaked. MNPD Chief John Drake later confirmed the pages are authentic.

"I am greatly disturbed by today’s unauthorized release of three pages of writings from the Covenant shooter. This police department is extremely serious about the investigation to identify the person responsible," Drake said in a statement. "This action showed a total disregard for Covenant families, as well as the court system, which has control of the shooter’s journals at the present time due to litigation filed earlier this year."

While it's true there is an ongoing legal battle over the manifesto, Crowder made a keen observation about the reaction of Nashville authorities over the leak.

"The powers that be are more concerned about finding the leaker than they are about the contents of [the killer]'s anti-white manifesto. Interesting," he said.

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