DOJ says Memphis police show patterns of unlawful conduct toward citizens
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Department of Justice reveals Memphis police and the City of Memphis have shown patterns of unlawful conduct to citizens.
The information was shared in a news conference earlier Thursday following a large scale investigation that began on July 27 of 2023. Dozens of officers and many city employees as well as hundreds of community members and local organizations were interviewed.
In their investigation were 3 main focal points including findings that police in Memphis use excessive force.
“Officers often make tough choices in stressful circumstances but in Memphis we have found that officers often use unwarranted serious force in response to low-level violations or traffic offenses,” said Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Furthermore, findings discovered, police stop, search and make arrests unlawfully and discriminate against African Americans and those with behavioral disabilities when enforcing the law. There are also concerns that MPD officers unnecessarily escalate encounters with children.
According to the National Institute of Corrections, crisis intervention teams began in Memphis in 1988 – in response to a tragic shooting of a man with a serious mental illness by a police officer during a time of racial tension. Today, officers are specifically trained in responding to behavioral health calls.
However, the justice department say officers use force without justification and without first trying to resolve situations peacefully.
“One crisis team member acquired the nickname ‘tazer-face’ for his inordinate use of the tool,” said Clarke.
The department says “The people of Memphis deserve non-discriminatory policing.”
“Memphis is the heartland of civil rights advocacy and the people of Memphis deserve to feel safe. They deserve to feel safe in their homes, their neighborhoods, their cars; especially when you encounter police officers,” said Clarke.
This is one of 12 investigations of police agencies opened by the justice department since April of 2021.
Others include:
- Louisville, Kentucky Metro Police Department
- Minneapolis Police Department
- Phoenix Police Department
- Lexington, Mississippi Police Department
- Trenton, New Jersey Police Department
For more news across the state, click here.
