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Councilman reacts to risque fashion show

There was a fashion show where some say police and firefighters got a little risque on the runway. Action News 5 showed you the pictures first Thursday night. The fashion show was Sunday night. The invitation reads: "don't miss Memphis' finest men and women in and out of uniform." And as the pictures show, the promoters delivered.

At a fashion show on Sunday - called the Battle of the Shields - Memphis Firefighters and Police Officers wore uniforms and then slowly took them off, at one point simulating sex and showing skin. We showed them to City Council member Brent Taylor. He heads up the Committee overseeing law enforcement. Policy says uniforms are only to be worn on the job. Some officers have told Action News 5 the event was a fundraiser for charity. But promoters would not confirm this and top fire administrators have so far been unable to find out themselves. Brent Taylor, Memphis City Council said, "I don't think Memphians have any problem with police officers and firefighters wearing uniforms to these fundraising events, raising money for charity, but when they're doing so, I think they have to exercise good judgment."

The incident took place a week after Police Director James Bolden and his Deputy Ray Schwill were forced into early retirement by Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who blasted police for what he called horseplay when he drove up on a traffic stop. Action News 5 has also confirmed that Police Chief Janice Pilot, whose name was tossed around last week as a possible candidate for Police Director, was in attendance at the event, although spokespeople for the Department tell us she left before things became inappropriate. "Obviously the Mayor should have been at this party taking pictures of 'his' men and 'his police officers and his firefighters' as he said that they were. He should have been at this party taking pictures instead of standing out on the street corner taking photographs of police officers who apparently were simply doing their job." We called the Mayor's office. His spokesperson tells us he's still gathering information and isn't yet ready to comment publicly.