Kelly, 20, is accused of carrying out a shooting spree on Sept. 7, 2022, that left three people dead and three others injured. 

In the bill, convicted people would be sentenced to life without parole for a combination of offenses that add up to three strikes. The state can’t accommodate the expected increase in incarceration with its current facilities, which are operating at 96% of capacity.

The officers being decertified are Justin Smith, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin III. 

In the 3500 block of Denver Street, the driver fired shots at the officer who was pursuing him on foot. The officer fired back. No injuries were reported.

Franklin claims if police had properly investigated her September 2021 rape and had subsequently arrested Cleotha Henderson, the abduction and death of Eliza Fletcher in September 2022 could have been avoided.

Memphis Police Department officials appeared in Nashville Thursday, March 23, and presented state decertification requests for four officers involved in the traffic stop that led to Tyre Nichols’ death.

Related story:

MPD reverses course on Lt. DeWayne Smith decertification rescindment

According to a statement provided by MPD Thursday, March 23, an internal discussion occurred concerning the department’s ability to decertify an officer who retired before being terminated and a request to delay the decertification was misunderstood.

Smith served as a supervisor on the disbanded SCORPION unit that was responsible for the traffic stop of Tyre Nichols.

The ruling will allow the plaintiffs to sue the city with a class-action status.

Rev. Autura Eason-Williams, a district superintendent for the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church, was killed during a July 18, 2022, carjacking in the driveway of her Whitehaven home. 

As Tennessee again promises an increased number of state troopers, municipalities around the country are trying to find ways to curb the influence of lead-footed drivers, Memphis included. 

Related story:

Memphis seeing more state troopers not just on highways but on ‘our city streets’

Local and state officials hope to continue to see more Tennessee Highway Patrol officers in Memphis and Shelby County, a number that could be helped by a potential $10,000 bonus each year for any trooper assigned to the area. 

The MPD figures came during an update on specialized units during a Memphis City Council Committee meeting Tuesday, March 21. 

Just City, a criminal justice reform organization that has often drawn Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s ire, has offered to help the City of Memphis publish more criminal justice data. 

“The female driver, who was the only individual in the vehicle, was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

“In the past couple years, the Jail has seen troublesome population increases and has left key positions vacant ... the family of Gershun Freeman has called for a DOJ investigation into his homicide.”

Chapman said he continued to work past the typical retirement age of 65 because he loved what he was doing.

“We have to have this broader view of what we’re trying to get done and what the goal is,” says Cardell Orrin.

The families of Gershun Freeman and Tyre Nichols stood with attorney Ben Crump Friday afternoon outside the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center, demanding prosecution of the corrections officers responsible for Freeman’s death. 

Memphis Police Department Lt. Dewayne Smith, a 25-year veteran, has been identified as the officer who retired before an administrative hearing into his involvement in the death of Tyre Nichols.

In Memphis, leaders seem to agree that youth are able to get guns too easily and that they are seeing a trend of younger juvenile offenders and more violent offenses. But there are varying opinions on how to deal with those trends.

Stephanie Hill, a “fierce” advocate for children and youth, sees the best in the children she works with and also believes it is our responsibility to do what we can to give them opportunities to succeed.

Much of the current framework of the Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Court is the result of a 2012 agreement between Shelby County elected leaders and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department.

In this installment of “Minor Offenders, Major Offenses,” we answer some of the basic questions about Juvenile Court and its basic responsibilities. Because, despite it being a court of record, “there is little standardization in juvenile court size, case management procedures and court administrative practices” across the state. 

Surveillance footage shows an individual wearing a baseball cap with a dark hoodie pulled over his head, light pants and light shoes.