Public Safety
A closer look at Tennessee’s pivotal gun laws
Restrictions on Tennessee gun owners have loosened in the past decade, and the state Legislature shows no signs of changing that trajectory.
Julia Baker
Reporter
There are 960 articles by Julia Baker :
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October 2024
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Public Safety ‘Iconic’ awards show aims to reduce violence
Local and state leaders hope the fourth annual Stomp the City Iconic Awards Show will help reduce crime and gun violence in Memphis.
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Public Safety Injured officer in Highway 64 motorcycle crash identified
The Shelby County Sheriff officer was injured in a crash near Lakeland Tuesday, Oct. 15, while responding to a separate motorcycle deputy-involved crash that occurred 20 minutes before.
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Behind The Headlines Behind The Headlines: The future of Memphis’ gun-control question
How Memphians will vote on the referendum, and whether it will ultimately impact Tennessee’s gun laws, was a hot topic for local reporters this week.
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Public Safety Former police officer convicted for stealing CrimeStoppers funds
Arica Hutchison’s conviction serves as a turning point for the former officer, who in 2010 was featured in the TLC TV series “Police Women of Memphis.”
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Public Safety Sheriff’s deputy on life support after Highway 64 crashes
An SCSO deputy who was responding to a separate crash involving a different deputy is currently in “extremely critical condition.”
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Public Safety ‘Last-minute’ change shifts Monday Juvenile Court hearings to virtual
Juvenile Court was scheduled to resume in-person proceedings after being closed for more than five months for mold and lead remediation. But those hearings will be virtual after Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says it will no longer transport youths.
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Public SafetySteady decline: What’s driving MPD officers away from the force
Officers leaving the force cite various reasons, including better pay and working conditions in other towns. One said, “We’re only reactive there (in Memphis), unfortunately, because crime has ballooned out so big, you can’t be proactive.”
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Public Safety Trial date set for next defendant in Young Dolph killing
Shelby County Criminal Court Division 10 Judge Jennifer Mitchell set the date for Hernandez Govan. She also set a Nov. 22 deadline for a potential plea deal.
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Public Safety Appeals court affirms law removing local DAs’ say in death penalty reviews
The ruling reverses a trial court decision on a 2023 Tennessee law by Shelby County judge Paula Skahan.
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Public SafetyNew law prioritizes public safety in setting bail, officials say
Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Division 8 Judge Lee Wilson and Lead Judicial Commissioner John Marshall discussed bail setting during a Memphis Shelby Crime Commission virtual discussion Thursday, Oct. 3.
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Public Safety Jury to begin deliberation Thursday in Tyre Nichols trial
Defense attorneys representing the three defendants made their closing arguments Wednesday afternoon and continued through 7:20 p.m.
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September 2024
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Public Safety Murder victim remembered for her advocacy
Rev. Autura Eason-Williams was described as “a bridge” between people as her friends and family told the court Monday what her death meant to them.
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Tyre Nichols trial: Friend testifies former Memphis cop is ‘kind-hearted’
“He’s always shown a character of humility, and that’s always stuck with me,” Bryant McKinney said. “Because no matter how good he did at something, he always was humble about the situation.”
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Public Safety Former MPD officer acted within policy in detaining Nichols, expert says
A retired police chief from the Gallatin Police Department testified one former MPD officer went through the appropriate use-of-force continuum the night of Tyre Nichols’ fatal beating.
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Public Safety Prosecution rests in federal Tyre Nichols trial
The prosecution in the federal trial against three officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols rested its case after hearing testimony from its 19th and final witness, a former ER nurse at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis.
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Public Safety Third defendant in Tyre Nichols trial files motion for acquittal
Demetrius Haley moved for acquittal Thursday, joining Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean who filed their motions for acquittal earlier in the afternoon.
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Shelby County Juvenile Court to reopen Friday after environmental remediation
The Juvenile Court building, 616 Adams Ave., has been closed since April 25 for asbestos, lead and mold remediation.
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Public Safety FBI agent reveals details from federal investigation into Nichols’ death
Testimony on Thursday, Sept. 26, unveiled texts and statements, one in which a former Memphis officer charged in the case said he felt it was his fault Tyre Nichols died.
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Public Safety Desmond Mills testifies he lied about Tyre Nichols beating
“‘The radio sounds better than how the camera looks,’” Desmond Mills Jr. recalled Lt. Dewayne Smith saying of the Nichols footage.
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Public Safety Desmond Mills confesses to going along with ‘cover-up’
Desmond Mills Jr. testified Wednesday he was afraid of telling the truth because, “I’d be sitting in the exact seat I’m sitting in now.”
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Public Safety Desmond Mills weeps on witness stand: ‘Sorry can’t bring him back’
“I wish I could have stopped the punches,” Desmond Mills Jr. said. “It hurt to watch. … I felt bad every time his picture’s on the screen and to know I’m a part of that.”
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Public Safety Desmond Mills begins testimony: ‘I just started spraying’
Desmond Mills Jr., one of the cops who previously pleaded guilty in the death of Tyre Nichols, began his testimony Tuesday, Sept. 24, in the federal trial against the three former police officers.
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Public Safety Two additional witnesses testify Demetrius Haley sent them photos of Tyre Nichols
Both witnesses said they deleted the Nichols photo. “I didn’t want that in my phone,” said one.
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Former cops told supervisor they did ‘everything by the book’
Former Lt. Dewayne Smith told prosecutor Kathryn E. Gilbert that he was unaware of any physical violence after the Tyre Nichols traffic stop.
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