Metro Council approves $250K settlement to family of domestic violence shooting victim

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday night, Metro Council voted to pay thousands of dollars to settle a wrongful death lawsuit to the family of a Nashville woman who was killed by her former partner in a 2021 domestic violence incident.

In November 2021, Michaela Carter’s ex-boyfriend, James Leggett, showed up at her parents’ Antioch home with a gun. In the 911 recordings from that night, Michaela’s mother told dispatch officers had just left her home, and they needed them to come back.

According to an investigation, Leggett returned to the home, kicked in the front door and shot Michaela and her father. Carter’s father suffered non-critical wounds and Michaela died from her injuries a few days later. Michaela reportedly had an order of protection against Leggett.

A year after the shooting, Carter’s mother — Kimberly Jones-Mbuyi — filed a lawsuit against the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) accusing the department of “deeply disturbing negligence.”

Then, on December 19, 2023, an 18-page complaint was filed stating that the “the officers’ flagrant incompetence quickly and predictably resulted in Ms. Carter being murdered.”

In fact, in the compliant the family states “Following Ms. Carter’s death, Metro has not implemented any policy changes to prevent the next domestic violence victim from being murdered.”

However, that changed Tuesday, Feb. 6 after Metro Council voted to pay the family $250,000 in the wrongful death of Michaela Carter. The decision also led to MNPD finalizing changes to its domestic violence policies.

According to court documents, the first policy update is in regards to body cameras during interactions with domestic violence victims.

“MNPD has updated Policy 15.50.060 to clarify explicitly that, where possible, body-worn cameras be in operation when officers provide information concerning shelter and counseling to domestic violence victims,” wrote Metro Council in a resolution.

Officials also finalized changes to another policy that will require BOLOs to be issued for those who violate an order of protection.

“MNPD Policy 15.50.090 (Orders of Protection) has been updated to require officers to send out a rapid BOLO (“be on the lookout”) for suspected order of protection violators where the BOLO could assist with quickly locating and apprehending the respondent,” said council.

Daniel A. Horwitz, lead counsel for Kimberly Jones-Mbuyi issued a statement after the settlement stating the family is pleased that the changes will help future domestic violence victims.

Nashville is safer today because of Mrs. Jones-Mbuyi’s advocacy and her determination to use her family’s unspeakable tragedy for good. It should not have taken litigation for Metro to adopt policy changes to address the clear MNPD failures that got Mrs. Jones-Mbuyi’s daughter killed, though, and those policy changes should never have been used by Metro Legal as leverage in settlement negotiations. Even so, we are pleased that meaningful policy changes that will help protect future domestic violence victims are now in place, and we are proud to have secured close to the maximum permitted recovery for Mrs. Jones-Mbuyi to go along with them.

Daniel A. Horwitz, lead counsel for Kimberly Jones-Mbuyi

Leggett remains in custody and was charged with criminal homicide and attempted criminal homicide, among other charges.