DOJ accuses Memphis police of routine excessive force

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday said it finished a 16-month investigation into the Memphis Police Department’s use of force. The investigation followed the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols and subsequent protests. The investigation found that Memphis police officers routinely escalate confrontations over nonviolent offenses instead of de-escalating them. The DOJ said the city of Memphis and its police department fully cooperated with the federal investigation and has since implemented reforms. Even so, the department called on the city to do more to remedy the situation.

What does this look like at the ground level? The DOJ analyzed a random sample taken from data from more than 2,000 use-of-force incidents that occurred between January 2020 and September 2023. The agency also reviewed every shooting by Memphis police officer between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022. Based on that review, the DOJ determined that Memphis police officers routinely resorted to violence when it was unnecessary and in instances where suspects were restrained and unarmed. Officers sometimes began punching, kicking, and throwing suspects onto the ground entirely unprovoked and just moments after approaching the suspects in question, the DOJ said.

What sorts of nonviolent offenses are we talking about? Memphis police officers routinely used disproportionate force against individuals pulled over for traffic violations, the review found. In nearly 200 instances occurring between 2018 and 2023, officers used force against individuals who were driving without a license, the DOJ said. Officers also punished people for fleeing the scene following a traffic stop, even after they’d surrendered.

Are officers held accountable for their actions? The Department of Justice found that both the police department and the city of Memphis routinely failed to hold officers accountable for excessive use of force. Specifically, the DOJ accused police commanders of ignoring clear warnings about the prevalence of excessive force.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report about the calls for police reform in the wake of Nichols’ death.