Sanford: Abusive behavior of Crisis Intervention Team belies intent
Otis Sanford
Otis Sanford is a political columnist, author and professor emeritus in Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis.
Joseph DeWayne Robinson had been acting strangely for months.
Convinced someone was out to harm him, Robinson told his mother he expected to be killed any day.
At 27, Robinson was living with his mother, Reba Brownlee, his sister and her two children in what was then the LeMoyne Gardens public-housing complex in South Memphis. He had become a heavy cocaine user and his daily existence was spiraling out of control.
Topics
Otis Sanford Crisis Intervention Team DOJ Memphis Police Department Subscriber Only2025 is almost over. Now is the time to support your trusted local news source.
Will you help us reach more Memphians with quality, in-depth local news? Make a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian, a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization, today.
Thank you for keeping up with what’s happening in Memphis. Thank you for investing in our community’s trusted local news source.
Otis Sanford on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Otis Sanford's stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.