By Brad Brooks
(Reuters) – The Memphis Police Department is using excessive force and discriminating against black people, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday after an investigation, calling on the Tennessee city’s police force to make sweeping reforms.
A federal investigation began in July 2023 after the death of black motorist Tyro Nichols at the hands of Memphis officers.
Memphis police conduct illegal stops, searches and arrests, discriminate against people with behavioral health disorders and in their treatment of children “who have experienced aggressive and frightening encounters with officers,” according to the report.
A spokesman for the Memphis Police Department referred requests for comment on the investigation to City Hall. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said they plan to hold a press conference on Thursday.
Memphis City Attorney Tanner Gibson wrote in a letter to the Department of Justice on Wednesday that city officials are not yet ready to negotiate with the department on reforms, saying they need time to consider the report’s findings.
Gibson wrote that the investigation “took just 17 months to complete, compared to an average of 2-3 years in almost every other case, representing a rushed decision.”
Gibson added that the city cannot yet agree with the Department of Justice to “work or enter into a consent decree” — a court-approved agreement that typically commits police departments to systemic reforms and often involves oversight by an independent monitor over a number of years.
In October, a federal jury convicted three former Memphis police officers of witness tampering in connection with the trial in Nichols’ death. The officers were cleared of the most serious charges that could lead to life imprisonment. Two other former officers have already pleaded guilty to federal charges and testified against their former colleagues in court.
The three officers are still awaiting trial in the Tennessee state court in April for the murder.
The Justice Department acknowledged in a statement that the police had made some reforms, but said more changes were needed to fix the problems identified.
“Memphis residents deserve a police department and a city that protects their civil and constitutional rights, inspires trust and keeps them safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The Justice Department said in a statement that the Memphis Police Department and city officials have fully cooperated with the investigation. Federal officials “will be working with members of the Memphis community to learn about legal remedies to address the department’s findings,” the statement said.
