By Caleb WethingtonPublished: May 2025 at 4:58 PM CDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBRENTWOOD (WSMV) - The Brentwood Police Department (BPD) has closed its investigation into an intervening neighbor who shot and killed a man who was stabbing a woman on Lost Hollow Drive in late February BPD reports that the investigation into the shooting death of Julian Porter has been closed and no charges are being filed against the shooter Here are instructions on how to watch WSMV4 live on various platforms. officers responded to reports of a man stabbing a woman on Lost Hollow Drive The neighbor attempted to physically intervene but was unable to stop the suspect from actively attacking the woman The neighbor shot Port multiple times with several witnesses present Porter and his mother were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment “Detectives with Brentwood’s Criminal Investigation Division thoroughly examined the incident and presented their findings to the Grand Jury The Grand Jury ruled that the neighbor did not commit a crime allowing BPD to officially close the investigation,” BPD said Mayor Mark Gorman speaks during the April 28 Commissioner Anne Dunn speaks during the April 28 Gino Bulso says commissioners dragged legislation into election politics after criticism of charter change which applies in effect only to Brentwood Several Brentwood commissioners turned the heat on Tennessee House Rep Gino Bulso for a bill that would allow the city to enter into a public-private agreement on recreational sports facilities Bulso was publicly rebuked by commissioners Nelson Andrews Anne Dunn and Rhea Little during last Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting because they felt they had been left in the dark about the bill which gave the city a new power under its charter in the state code “One single man took it upon himself to get our city charter amended,” Dunn said during the meeting “I'm just saying I have a little problem with that Andrews began the discussion during his own comments during Monday’s meeting “Brentwood governance shouldn't operate through favors placed at the dinner table or through back channel conversations and this is what transparency matters,” Andrews said “When decisions get made behind closed doors we all lose the opportunity to weigh the consequences and it puts us at risk of costs and mistakes.” He added: “The political connection isn't really a secret,” noting that Bulso and Mayor Mark Gorman sat together at the Williamson County GOP Reagan Day Gala in Franklin on February 17 along with commissioners Allison Spears and Susanna Macmillan Bulso did say he had been in contact with the mayor about the bill when I've carried legislation that affects the city of Brentwood my dealings have always been with the mayor,” Bulso said “I don't go and talk to all five commissioners because he was mayor at the time when we changed the city manager commission charter statute [in 2023] to increase the threshold from $10,000 to $25,000 at which a city manager could approve contracts without getting commission approval if we were going to do something with the bill and all the commissioners had a chance to discuss it and then all the commissioners had a chance to to vote on it Dunn said in the meeting that the commissioners were never asked about the legislation or had a chance to vote on a resolution to support it or not our mayor did not communicate to all of us,” Dunn told the Williamson Scene adding that she wasn’t aware of the details of the legislation until March “I can understand why [Mayor Gorman] might not have wanted to email all of us but at one of our bi-monthly informational meetings he could have brought it up in a public setting.” Bulso introduced HB 65 / SB 495 (sponsored in the Senate by District 28 Sen who represents a portion of Williamson County) which “authorizes a city incorporated under a city manager-commission charter to contract with a private entity for the development or operation of an indoor or outdoor sports facility under terms acceptable to the city.” That bill was later amended to restrict its impact to those governments with a AAA bond rating an amendment which Bulso recognized during the legislative process would mean the bill only affects Brentwood at this time It received little discussion and debate as it moved through numerous subcommittees and committees and onto the House and Senate floor “Obviously I've been in contact with many of the commissioners about it because I was interested in the project from the very beginning,” Bulso told the Williamson Scene at the March 28 Policy Talks event in Franklin adding that he began working on the bill in September or October 2024 said he considered serving on the city’s Racquet Facility Ad Hoc Committee which published a report on the proposed project in 2023 but instead “kept close tabs on it” and insisted that he hadn’t been lobbied by commissioners to sponsor the bill According to Brentwood Community Relations Director Charles Booth city administration first learned about the bill “in mid-February as part of a bill report from the city’s lobbyist.” “City staff was not involved in conversations with the sponsors about the legislation,” Booth said in an email Dunn and Little] that were trying to attack me all knew on February 13 about this legislation and in the almost three months since then they never once came to me and expressed any kind of issue with it or even wanted to talk about it,” Bulso said That February 13 date was when Bulso spoke to a Leadership Brentwood group which included Andrews Andrews brought the bill up publicly during the February 24 commission meeting “Gino Bulso mentioned two bills that he's submitting on behalf of the Brentwood city commission,” Andrews said in that February meeting does anyone know what those are and can anyone elaborate on what the two bills are on behalf of Brentwood and what the content is I just know he was working on something,” Vice Mayor Ken Travis responded while the rest of the commission sat in silence well that's strange that he would mention submitting two bills on behalf of Brentwood if none of the commissioners have any idea what that is,” Andrews said Travis told the Williamson Scene after the discussion at the meeting last Monday that he learned about the bill “in early March.” Travis sent out an email newsletter that reads in part “I received the following notification this week: Upon Governor Lee’s signature the City of Brentwood will have the opportunity to partner with a private individual or company on a Racquet Facility — and we already have a highly interested private partner!” Macmillan told the Williamson Scene that she heard about the bill when Andrews brought it up in February and that “4/19 was the first time I learned about it being on the Governor's desk waiting for a signature,” via Travis’ email “I had no backroom dealings or involvement whatsoever in the bill that Gino put forth [nor] have I had any conversations with any potential partners other than the ones who came to public meetings previously,” Macmillan said during the meeting The Williamson Scene asked for a comment from both Gorman and Spears, who were sitting beside each other on Monday night, but Gorman ignored the question. Following reporting on an ethics inquiry turned ethics complaint against Gorman he now refuses to speak in person with the Williamson Scene and has directed that all questions be emailed to him After repeated attempts to ask Spears she asked the Williamson Scene to email her our questions but neither Gorman nor Spears returned our emailed request for comment The Williamson Scene specifically asked Gorman and Spears if the bill was a result of "favors placed at the dinner table or backchannel conversations" with either Rep Neither elected official answered the question Gorman and Spears also refused to say when they first became aware of the bill we got three commissioners up there that are concealing information,” Bulso said “Not one of them said that they knew about this legislation on February 13 and did nothing about it to contact me.” Gorman, Spears and Little are the three incumbent commissioners up for election in this race Little pushed back on Bulso’s statement that he had been pulled into the ongoing drama ahead of the contentious May 6 city election but never talked to all seven commissioners and so he's the one that attached himself to it,” Little said “He's the one that sponsored the bill … It was the way he went about it I actually thought that was bad politically but he's talking to the four commissioners apparently that wanted it,” Little said Little confirmed that he didn't attempt to reach out to Bulso about the bill “I did reach out to some people that know the legislature and I was told that [the bill] was a freight train running through if you're from Weakley County or Grundy County or Knox County and even the cities that have city manager-city commission charters it's not going to affect them because they don't have a AAA bond rating,” Little continued Bulso was asked during a subcommittee meeting on March 5 how many city manager-commission charter governments have a AAA bond rating according to the state’s Comptroller of the Treasury “It was so specific to our city,” Little said “that I wouldn't be surprised if it's not legally challenged because I don't think the legislature should be designing a bill because they represent the state that is for one specific community I think that that can lead to a lot of abuse.” The state has lost several lawsuits that involved bills which specifically targeted the Metropolitan Government of Nashville. So far, courts have sided mostly with Metro’s arguments in decisions that repeatedly overturned those laws “We should not be the last to know when one state representative who believes in local government and local control and he purports to belong to the most conservative part of that conservative party Email notifications are only sent once a day We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know at editor@williamsonscene.com there are no recent results for popular videos there are no recent results for popular commented articles Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: TWO Essex mums have supported local teens with their community prom shop After going through the prom experience themselves with their teenage children and the spiralling costs involved Amanda Watkins and Karen Brooks decided to pay forward their experience youngsters were able to browse the rails at the Prom Pop-Up Shop in Brentwood and try on as many dresses and suits as they wanted full length mirrors and dressmakers on hand to ensure the perfect fit spaces quickly filled up and the shop was extended to two days then a further weekend to make sure all those who wanted to attend could Amanda explains where the idea came from.  “When my youngest had her prom in 2022 it went back in the cupboard never to be worn again The following year I got married and my three daughters had gorgeous prom style dresses as bridesmaids – yet again I knew what a waste this was and that there would many people out there who weren’t in a financial position to spend that money so I kept the dresses to work out how I could use them The idea then came to me that so many other people also must have dresses like this and if I could get them to donate we could help so many families  A callout to the local community via social media brought donations in their hundreds many brand-new with labels still attached with an estimated combined retail cost of over £100,000 “When Amanda first mentioned running a prom pop-up I loved the idea and knew there would be plenty of people with pre-loved dresses in their lofts and wardrobes my prom shopping was less about the experience of trying on dresses but the cost was still high with suits easily costing upwards of £200 In the end we had over 600 dresses plus suits shirts and shoes so were able to make sure the pop-up included boys.” The families who visited the pop-up shop came from all over Essex and East London women’s refuges and Social Services to make sure word of our project reached those who needed it most There are so many families facing huge challenges alongside the financial pressure of affording an outfit for their child to go to prom One thing they all had in common was a wish to be able to make sure their teen didn’t feel different or left out I was overwhelmed by the number of parents and carers who said that without being able to get their outfit for free at the pop-up the child would simply not have been going to prom There were a lot of tears of relief when they found their dream dress and knew they’d be able to go.” Karen agrees, “It’s been so rewarding to be able to make a difference to these kids Many who came to the shop were experiencing such challenges and we heard some really heartrending stories about how the cost of living crisis is having an impact on people’s lives mental and emotional hardships can affect anyone but no child should miss out on such a milestone or feel different to their friends because of their circumstances.” Amanda and Karen made sure their team and network also got fully involved a Billericay-based marketing agency set up in 2008 the pair were able to blend all their business knowledge of running events with their extensive personal experiences as Mums making sure every box was ticked to create the perfect setting and atmosphere in the shop “It was important to us that every youngster who came to the shop felt really special,”explains Amanda “They were each looked after personally by a member of our team who helped them choose options before trying them on Our fantastic band of volunteer seamstresses made sure each fit was perfect – nothing was too much trouble for them and meant that even alterations were done free of charge.  Each teen who came to the pop-up was accommodated according to their individual needs and were able to choose accessories too – we had shoes so some left with their whole prom outfit sorted Every time the bell rang to say ‘yes to the dress’ a huge cheer went up and it was just the best feeling to see the smiles break out on their faces.” Proms have become a key event in the life of UK schoolchildren marking the end of their time at senior school after taking their GCSE exams With the average cost of prom being over £800 the expense can be daunting particularly in the current economic climate over 600 dresses were donated by the local community and by brands including ReWritten (Stratford) and Bodice & Bustle in Bishop’s Stortford who all gave garments completely free of charge The shop opened at The Baytree Shopping Centre in Brentwood electrics and management support provided free of charge by The Baytree Shopping Centre who also covered the cost of hanging rails and creating changing areas Sports Direct and Poundland within the centre also donated hangers and rails donated over £4,000 worth of make-up and beauty products which were used as a pick’n’mix for the teens to select from.  Essex-based companies who also contributed to the shop being a resounding success included Set for the Show “This feels a bit like a full circle moment Amanda and I went into business together almost 17 years ago because we wanted to be present as Mums to our children Being able to bring this project to life and support so many families through the fantastic team and network we’ve built over that time is easily the most rewarding moment for us both.” Amanda and Karen are already planning next year’s Prom Pop-Up Shop with their team committing their time once again to bring it to life and make a difference when the time comes for the Class of 2026 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" A consultation has opened on a new walking and cycling route in Brentwood The A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme will run along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road The proposals include creating a new one mile long shared-use walking and cycling path They will also see new signalised crossings for pedestrians and cyclists created at key locations along the route We are developing the scheme on behalf of National Highways.  A public consultation on the proposals launched today. Residents and businesses are encouraged to have their say before Wednesday 13 November Printed copies are available at Brentwood Library.  A consultation event is also taking place: Construction of the scheme is expected to start in autumn 2025 BETA Help us improve this site by giving feedback Devolution and tackling knife crime topics raised at Brentwood PFCC public meetingLoading...COUNTYWIDEOTHERThe PFCC’s role in planned devolution for Essex and further collaboration with schools to tackle knife crime were some of the topics raised by the public at a public meeting held on Wednesday 23rd April The meeting was held in the Council Chamber at Brentwood Council offices in Ingrave Road Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst was joined by Mark Eaglestone Attendees at the meeting heard how all crime in Brentwood has decreased by 9% in the 12 months to March 2025 with Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) incidents down by 5.7% and Burglary incidents down 7.4% in the same period The meeting also heard how since January 2024 the ECFRS fire prevention teams have completed 309 home visits in the district with 100 fire safety inspections completed in the same time period “Being able to hear directly from local communities is invaluable in better understanding concerns and ensure we are working together to make Brentwood a safer place.” The PFCC hosts a public meeting once a year in each of the 14 districts of Essex allowing residents to raise community safety matters directly with the panel The next PFCC public meeting is the public meeting for Harlow district which is taking place on Tuesday 6th May at Passmores Academy To stay up to date on the latest news and events Subscribe to our Newsletter Navigation Home 01245 291600pfcc@essex.police.ukKelvedon Park, London Rd, Rivenhall, Witham CM8 3HB Email NotificationTo sign up for email notifications of the latest news and updates The new Brentwood Police Headquarters as seen during the grand opening event on April 29 BPD closes investigation after grand jury finds no crime committed by neighbor who intervened to stop stabbing The Brentwood Police Department has closed its investigation with no charges filed in the Feb who was attacking his mother with a knife when a neighbor shot him Police have not identified the neighbor who was cleared on Friday in the announcement of the close of the investigation As previously reported police responded to a Lost Hollow Drive home that February afternoon for a call of a man actively stabbing a woman confronted the male suspect,” a February news release read in part “The neighbor attempted to physically intervene but he was unable to stop the suspect from actively stabbing the woman the incident began inside the house and Porter's mother attempted to flee the attack that continued outside the home and his mother has since been discharged from the hospital “Detectives with Brentwood’s Criminal Investigation Division thoroughly examined the incident and presented their findings to the Grand Jury,” a May 2 news release reads “The Grand Jury ruled that no crime was committed by the neighbor allowing BPD to officially close the investigation.” CBS17.com Crash investigation at I-440 and Brentwood Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho is a new father after his wife Rosa gave birth to their daughter on Friday The City of Fayetteville has approved an 11 p.m A man convicted of drug trafficking in Lee County was recaptured after escaping a Hyde County prison 40 chickens are missing from a farm in Orange County A wrong way driver was involved in a crash on I-40 in Raleigh A federal judge ruled Allison Riggs is the winner of the North Carolina Supreme Court race No suspects are in custody after a teenager was shot and killed in Durham The REAL ID deadline has brough long lines to DMV offices in North Carolina Meet the new inductees of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Fayetteville officials held an emergency meeting to address gun violence in the city The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has reviewed the body camera footage of a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper under investigation for his actions after a deadly Raleigh crash Los Angeles is nobody’s wallflower. Neon signs blink after midnight, front-row fashion risks stroll grocery aisles and even the houses practice theatrical stagecraft. Against that dazzling hum, the mere suggestion of hush can seem hypothetical. Yet drive a few minutes west of Beverly Hills and the volume dips. Trees crowd the sidewalks, speed bumps outnumber paparazzi and bright red Ferraris are shrunken down to Matchbox size. This is Brentwood—moneyed, yes, but domestically inclined, a neighborhood that values lemonade stands as much as a magnum of Napa Valley vintage cabernet. Located in the quiet subdivision of Grove Estates the three-story home slips behind its own discreet gate at 1000 N Norman Place why he left the shoreline showmanship of Malibu and the gilt edges of Beverly Hills and his answer lies in this equilibrium: “For the first time since moving to L.A. I felt like I was living in a real neighborhood,” he says same as you’ll find in Beverly Hills or Malibu I finally knew my neighbors’ faces—something I wanted for my kids The resort-style pool reflects the property's majestic mature oaks, a green setting for a complete outdoor lifestyle, including a built-in BBQ, open-air kitchen and media lounge. True to California’s indoor-outdoor gospel, entire glass walls slide away, dissolving the boundary between living-room calm and pool-side breeze. Outside, mature oaks form a natural barricade around a yard that reads like a private rec center. There is a heated pool, an outdoor kitchen sized for a team brunch and a media lounge for moonlit movie nights. Step below grade into the home’s lowest level and the details deepen. A 500-bottle wine room stands next to a sports-bar-ready lounge. Steps away, a cedar sauna steams beside a gym, and a half-court basketball floor covers what was once a lap pool—an amenity waiting for a future reversal, should the next owner prefer laps to lay-ups. Downstairs, a putt-perfect green, home theater and half-court hoop arena convert the lower level into a playground calibrated for every generation. But it’s not all fun and games here. Moments of serious style up the elegance ante. A grooved, almost geological, wall spreads behind the wet bar like an artwork that also happens to dampen acoustics. The primary bath echoes with five-star hotel vibes, where brass and dark tiling frame a glass steam shower. inviting contemplative pauses away from the home’s headline amenities If you catch a celebrity on San Vicente, it’s likely during a PTO fundraiser or between Pilates sessions. Status here is camouflaged, not erased, says Martin. “In Beverly Hills, it’s Bentleys everywhere,” he notes. “Here, it’s more something like a Range Rover. Still high-end, but not as concerned with flash. Plus, the kids can fit in the back.” the backyard sprawls with room to spare—a swimming pool writ large beneath California sky Brentwood’s narrow canyons resist oversized development and its village-scale retail discourages party-bus invasions The result is a neighborhood that manages to headline Forbes wealth rankings while still feeling like a place to raise toddlers and teens Call it the Brentwood paradox: elite but neighborly an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.