Violent crime still rising, first-quarter stats show
Property crimes dropped during the first three months of 2021, according to data from the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission and the Public Safety Institute.
Yolanda Jones
Reporter
Yolanda Jones covers criminal justice issues and general assignment news for The Daily Memphian. She previously was a reporter at The Commercial Appeal.
There are 774 articles by Yolanda Jones :
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April 2021
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Public Safety Woman accused of shooting at police officer charged with attempted murder
She shot at officer during a traffic stop, police allege.
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Public Safety Former Memphis lawyer found guilty in $250K fraud scheme
Former Memphis lawyer George Skouteris Jr. faces a maximum sentence of 30 years and a fine of $1 million and five years supervised release.
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Public Safety TBI investigating possible police shooting during traffic stop
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday it was investigating “the circumstances leading to a possible officer-involved shooting.”
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Public Safety Local activists react with tears of joy to guilty verdict in Minneapolis trial
Local activists shed tears of joy after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd.
Related story:
Ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges
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Public SafetyMemphis names first female police chief
Cerelyn ‘C.J.’ Davis, chief of police in Durham, North Carolina, has been named to head the Memphis Police Department, becoming the first woman to lead the agency in its 194-year history.
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City of Memphis Protesters decry latest police shootings around country
Around 30 people gathered outside the National Civil Rights Museum on Sunday, April 18, to demand justice in three recent police killings in Knoxville, Chicago and Minnesota.
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Public Safety Nail salon owner is on a quest to help ex-felons succeed
Yolanda Johnson, who has been in the nail industry for 21 years, plans to open a school to help former ex-felons train to be entrepreneurs and start their own nail salons like she did.
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Public SafetyProblems persist at jail despite lawsuit settlement, inspection finds
The COVID-19 jail lawsuit has been settled but a recent jail inspection still found some issues at the facility at 201 Poplar.
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City of MemphisTop cops: The 12 Memphis Police directors
Since the position was created in 1972, the department has had a dozen directors. A new era is set to begin with the April 14 retirement of Michael Rallings.
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Public Safety Rallings to cross new bridge: Police director reflects on ‘roller-coaster’ year
Michael Rallings, MPD’s director for five years, retires after 31-year career with the department.
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Public Safety COVID-19 jail lawsuit dismissed after both sides reach settlement
Lawsuit alleged Shelby County failed to address the spread of the coronavirus, putting medically vulnerable and disabled detainees at risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Public Safety Life on the street: No night is ‘typical’ for officers on patrol
Memphis Police Lt. Israel Taylor has been patrolling the streets of Memphis for 27 years. During a night on the streets, he discussed everything from the record-breaking number of homicides in Memphis last year to why he became an officer and remains on the job.
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Public Safety Community still dealing with unprecedented spike in homicides
Last year’s record 332 homicides in Memphis have taken a toll on those involved, from community activists to grieving parents to experts who struggle to come up with solutions to stem the violence.
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Public Safety Pervis Payne gains new supporters as reprieve set to expire
Pervis Payne, a Shelby County man on death row for 33 years, has gained new supporters as a reprieve is set to expire and the state Supreme Court may set a new execution date.
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City of Memphis Mike Ryall named interim MPD chief as new candidate joins the mix
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Monday, April 5, that he is appointing police Deputy Director Mike Ryall as interim director effective immediately.
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Public SafetyMemphis police implement gunshot detection system
ShotSpotter is being used by police departments across the U.S. to curb gun violence.
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Public Safety Local activist arrested
Memphis activist DeVante Hill, who was prominent in local protests last summer after the death of George Floyd, has been arrested on charges he violated terms of his probation related to a 2016 arrest for filing a false report.
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March 2021
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Public SafetyInterstate shootings continue to rise amid concerns over permitless carry legislation
Memphis Police Department say interstate shootings are increasing and road rage is at the center of many of the incidents. And a permitless carry law could make the situation worse, officials fear.
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Public Safety Law enforcement, advocates react to passage of permitless carry bill
Law enforcement, advocates and others react to the passage of permitless carry legislation approved by lawmakers that will allow handguns to be carried, either openly or concealed, without a permit as of July 1.
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Public Safety Four indicted for July protest at Weirich home
They are accused of protesting outside Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich’s East Memphis home. About 40 demonstrators gathered July 4 and called for Weirich to be fired and for the release of jail detainees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Public Safety At one of his final briefings, Rallings calls permitless carry ‘catastrophic’
“I am just very alarmed that our state legislature is poised to pass permitless carry,” Rallings said.
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Public Safety Operation Winter Freeze 2 nets more than 300 arrests
Memphis police made more than 300 arrests and seized guns and drugs ranging from marijuana to cocaine during Operation Winter Freeze 2, MPD Director Michael Rallings announced Tuesday, March 23.
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Shelby CountySpecial prosecutor reviewing information in Ford criminal investigation
An independent report concluded Ford failed to disclose a county grant he proposed in 2019 would be used to buy computer equipment from Ford totaling $45,000.
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Public SafetyRichard Janikowski, one of the architects of Blue Crush, dies at 69
The retired University of Memphis criminologist helped guide and develop the data-driven crime-fighting model.
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