Memphis Police Discriminated Against Black People, Justice Dept. Finds

The Justice Department released the results of its investigation into the Memphis Police Department on Wednesday, nearly two years after officers fatally beat Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, following a traffic stop.

In a 73-page report, federal authorities found that the MPD uses excessive force, discriminates against Black people when enforcing the law, and conducts unlawful stops, searches and arrests. The probe also found that the agency unlawfully mistreats people with mental health issues.

The MPD had been under investigation since January 2023, following the death of Nichols that year. Bodycam footage of the Jan. 7 attack revealed that during the traffic stop, Memphis police officers kicked Tyre Nichols in the head, hit him with a baton, doused him with pepper spray, and beat him while he cried out for his mother, leading to his hospitalization and death on Jan. 10.

Footage of the attack also showed the officers issuing Nichols 71 commands, many of which were impossible to carry out, such as showing them his hands when they were restrained and telling him to get on the ground when he already was. The five officers involved in the killing — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired and charged in state court with murder. Two officers struck plea deals, and three were convicted in October 2024, including one found guilty of civil rights abuses and two of witness tampering.

“The people of Memphis deserve a police department and city that protects their civil and constitutional rights, garners trust and keeps them safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement.

The Justice Department also found serious concerns about MPD’s treatment of children, along with the deficiencies in policy, training, supervision and accountability that contribute to MPD’s and the City’s unlawful conduct. The city of Memphis and MPD fully cooperated with their investigation, per the department.

As Axios points out, while the Justice Department has launched 12 investigations under the Biden administration into police misconduct, court-ordered reforms have yet to be issued.

“This process and these findings uncovered that our city has a lot of work to do,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee in a statement. “Memphians are rightly concerned with gun violence and violent crime. They are also rightly concerned about the collective approach that we must take to tackle these issues. We hope to work with Mayor Young, Chief Davis, the Memphis Police Department and our Memphis partners to move forward.”

In its press release, the Justice Department said that it would be reaching out to Memphis community members for input on how to remedy the department’s findings, and invited residents to submit recommendations by email at Community.Memphis@usdoj.gov or by phone at 888-473-3730.

The department will hold a virtual zoom community meeting on Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. CT that can be accessed here.