Public Safety
Prosecutors file first indictment under Violent Crime Initiative
Three alleged members of the Unknown Vice Lords/Ghost Mob gang were indicted on new charges for their suspected role in the death of an unnamed man last year.
Aarron Fleming
There are 591 articles by Aarron Fleming :
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February 2024
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Public Safety ‘There was nothing I could have done,’ to save Nichols, says fired EMT
The notes detailing the immediate internal investigation are a part of the thousands of pages of documents the City of Memphis released Wednesday, Feb. 14.
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Former officers downplayed use of force in Nichols’ traffic stop
Response-to-resistance forms filed by the former MPD officers who beat Tyre Nichols last year describe their own actions as “soft hand” techniques aimed at getting him into custody.
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Public SafetyAffidavit details carjacking, shooting that led to city-wide manhunt
An affidavit in the case, posted to the online Shelby County Criminal Justice System Portal, describes one of the shootings that caused a city-wide manhunt for Craft Sunday.
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Public Safety MPD identifies Sunday shooting suspect
The Memphis Police Department has identified the man allegedly behind three Sunday, Feb. 11, shootings that caused a citywide manhunt.
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Public SafetyMPD: Suspect in multiple Sunday shootings captured
The suspect was out of jail on a bond of $100,000 for criminal attempt first-degree murder and criminal attempt especially aggravated robbery, according to a press release.
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City of MemphisNo bridge protest arrests? MPD says the investigation is still ongoing
Protestors have taken or attempted to take the area’s Mississippi River bridges several times in recent years. How those protests are handled has differed among law enforcement agencies.
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Public SafetyAdditional officers who responded to Tyre Nichols scene remain employed
On Jan. 30, the City of Memphis released additional footage from the night Tyre Nichols was beaten. The video revealed the names of several officers who responded to the scene and were previously unknown.
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Public SafetyLocal judge reprimanded for comments about bail
A judge has been reprimanded by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct for saying last year that he “detests” the bail-bond system in Shelby County.
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Public Safety Federal trial date moved for former officers charged in Tyre Nichols death
The federal trial for four of the former police officers accused of killing Tyre Nichols last year has been pushed back four months.
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Public Safety Teen accused of killing ‘watermelon man’ transferred to adult court
Demarion Tackett, 16, is accused of shooting 76-year-old John Materna, who was known for selling watermelons in The Heights neighborhood, on May 15, 2023. Materna died in the hospital two weeks after being shot.
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Shelby CountyPublic defender’s office also faces pay-disparity problem
Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly gave a 20% raise to most of state prosecutors and state public defenders. But the raise for Shelby County is capped at 5%.
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Public Safety Charges dropped for one suspect in killing of St. Jude researcher
Charges against Marious Ward, the alleged shooter in the case, were not dismissed Wednesday, although concerns were raised about how he was developed as a suspect.
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City of MemphisExperts prosecutors plan to call at trial for officers charged in Nichols’ death
Those experts include current and former MPD officers who may speak to MPD’s use-of-force policies and training programs as well as how the actions of the officers the night of Nichols’ death allegedly violated those standards.
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State Government Slate of bills by state Sen. Brent Taylor target bail, juvenile crime
Some of the more than 20 bills Taylor filed take aim at Shelby County’s current bail practices and a recent Memphis City Council ordinance that banned pretextual traffic stops by Memphis Police Department officers.
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January 2024
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Public Safety Crump retained by family of 201 Poplar inmate who died this month
Ramon McGhee was found unresponsive in his cell on Jan. 10, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating McGhee’s death.
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Public Safety New recordings from Nichols beating reveal disturbing details
In the new footage, other MPD officers are heard describing those in the SCORPION unit as “adrenaline junkies” who are too “hands-on.” One officer is also heard saying, “It’ll be justified.”
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Behind The Headlines Investigation of MPD complicates things, US attorney says
The top federal prosecutor in Memphis, U.S. attorney for Western Tennessee Kevin Ritz, says the Department of Justice inquiry affects the relationship his office has with the law enforcement body.
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Public SafetyState board recommends indicted judge be removed from office
The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct has recommended Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd be removed from office, according to a letter sent to Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally.
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Public SafetyJudge granted order of protection against brother, a senior DA official
Gerald Skahan allegedly sent three text messages where he threatened “bodily harm” or to kill Paula Skahan, according to the complaint.
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Public Safety Second officer charged in Tyre Nichols’ death wants federal trial moved from Memphis
Demetrius Haley asked Thursday, Jan. 18, for the trial to be moved outside of the city due to excessive media coverage of the case, according to court documents filed electronically.
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Public Safety Former officer accused in Tyre Nichols’ death wants trial outside of Memphis
No attorneys for the officers have yet filed requests to have separate federal trials, so it’s unclear if this motion would apply to all of them if granted.
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Shelby County Burst pipes cause flooding at 201 Poplar, juvenile court
Division 7 Judge Bill Anderson said there was about a foot of water at the front of his courtroom.
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Shelby County‘Snow Day’ has different meaning for essential services
From clearing roads to holding court, snow days come with some serious considerations and lots of detail for local government services.
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Public SafetyLost in translation: Local courts need less-common language interpreters
Just under 5% of Shelby County residents speak a language at home that isn’t English or Spanish, according to 2022 Census data. Finding court interpreters for those residents can be difficult when they’re needed.
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