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This story is brought to you by Scoop: Nashville as part of the #bspotter / #VisitMusicCity series which features tourist and downtown-related arrests in Music City.
24-year-old Samuel Barron Shapiro is charged with felony aggravated assault after a grand jury indicted him on the charge stemming from a mask enforcement encounter in downtown Nashville. Court records show Howard “Butch” Morris, while on duty as a TLC commission inspector in October of 2020 demanded that Metro Nashville police issue a citation to Shapiro, who he says had refused to wear a mask, despite multiple requests from the inspector. Shapiro told officers that Morris had been harassing him, and stated he will hit him if he continues to follow him. Moments later, the inspector approached Shapiro, and Shapiro swung at him twice, missing the first time, and knocking him to the ground as the second punch landed.
As the victim sat up from the blow, Shapiro reportedly used his boot to kick the victim in the head. The case was presented to the Grand Jury in September of 2021, at which time a true bill was returned, and a warrant was issued. Shapiro was booked into jail on the charge on December 8th and is free on a $7,500 bond.
Inspector Morris also once sued a Nashville taxi driver for $250,000 after the driver ran over his foot during an altercation as Morris was chastising the driver about using an incorrect pickup location. That case settled out of court.
| COMPLAINT: |
| 2021-C-1430 |
| ARREST WARRANT / AFFIDAVIT: |
| OFFICERS WERE ON WALKING MASK PATROL DOWNTOWN NEAR 207 BROADWAY WHEN THE VICTIM APPROACHED AN OFFICER ABOUT THE DEFENDANT NOT WEARING A MASK AND WANTED THE DEFENDANT CITED. THE VICTIM STATED HE HAD WARNED THE DEFENDANT MULTIPLE TIMES AND HE WAS REFUSING TO COMPLY. THE VICTIM WORKS FOR THE METRO TRANSIT LICENSING.
AS THE VICTIM WALKED UP TO THE OFFICER, THE DEFENDANT INTERRUPTED THEM BY CURSING AND YELLING STATING THAT THE VICTIM WAS HARASSING HIM. OFFICERS CALMED THE DEFENDANT DOWN AND TOLD HIM TO RETURN TO HIS CART. THE DEFENDANT WAS WALKING WITH THE OFFICER AND TOLD AN OFFICER THAT IF THE VICTIM FOLLOWS HIM, HE WILL HIT HIM. THE VICTIM WALKED DOWN TOWARD THE CART AND THE DEFENDANT WALKED UP AND THE DEFENDANT SWUNG AT THE VICTIM, MISSED, AND SWUNG AGAIN STRIKING THE VICTIM IN THE FACE KNOCKING HIM TO THE THE VICTIM SUFFERED INJURY TO HIS HEAD WITH A SPLIT GASH CUT BETWEEN HIS EYES. THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED UNDER MIRANDA THAT HE STRUCK THE VICTIM. TWO WITNESSES CONFIRMED THE DEFENDANT SWUNG AND MISSED THE FIRST TIME AND THEN MADE CONTACT THE SECOND TIME, CAUSING THE VICTIM TO FALL TO THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS STATED HE SAW THE DEFENDANT KICK AT THE VICTIM AND BELIEVES HE MADE CONTACT. |
| PROSECUTOR: |
| RANDALL WARD |
| SIGNED BY COMMISSIONER / JUDGE: |
| GRAND JURY INDICTMENT |
| VICTIM: |
| HOWARD M MORRIS |
| CASE | CHARGE | BOND |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-C-1430 | AGG. ASSAULT | 7500 |
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Sam Shapiro |
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| DEFENDANT: | SHAPIRO, SAMUEL BARRON |
| AKA(s): | SAMUEL BARRON SHAPIRO |
| ADDRESS: | 301 22ND AVE. N. NASHVILLE, TN 37203 |
| JMS ID: | 967662 |
| CONTROL ID: | 598782 |
| SEX: | M |
| RACE: | WHITE |
| DOB: | 01/10/1997 (24) |
| ADMITTED: | 12/08/2021 8:40:0 AM |
| RELEASED: | 12/08/2021 1:10:57 PM |
| BOND VIA: | GRUMPY’S BAIL BONDS OF NASHVILLE-DAVIDSON |
