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Police departments

DOJ to Retract Findings and Close Investigations into Memphis, Other Police Departments

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced plans to retract findings from a 2024 investigation into the Memphis Police Department, which found constitutional violations, including excessive force, unlawful traffic stops, and racial discrimination. The agency will also close investigations into police departments in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Trenton, New Jersey, and Mt. Vernon, New York, and dismiss lawsuits against the Minneapolis and Louisville police departments. This move is seen as a step back from reform efforts, with civil rights attorney Ben Crump calling it a "slap in the face" to the families of Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, whose cases sparked the investigations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DOJ's Civil Rights Division will retract findings from a 2024 investigation into the Memphis Police Department, which found constitutional violations, including excessive force, unlawful traffic stops, and racial discrimination.
  • The agency will close investigations into police departments in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Trenton, New Jersey, and Mt. Vernon, New York.
  • The DOJ will dismiss lawsuits against the Minneapolis and Louisville police departments, citing flawed data.
  • Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called the move a "slap in the face" to the families of Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.
  • The investigations were sparked by high-profile cases, including the death of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by police during a traffic stop, and the shooting of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
  • Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that the DOJ is ending the "failed experiment" of handing down factually unjustified consent decrees.

Statistics:

  • The DOJ found that the Memphis Police Department used excessive force in 2024, with no specific number given.
  • The agency identified unlawful traffic stops and racial discrimination as compliance issues in the Memphis case.
  • The DOJ found that police in Louisiana, Minnesota, and other departments engaged in similar constitutional violations.
  • 2023 saw a rise in high-profile police brutality cases, including the deaths of Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.

Sources:

  • "Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations in Memphis Police Department and City of Memphis" (https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-civil-rights-violations-memphis-police-department-and-city-memphis)
  • "Department of Justice Opens Civil Rights Probe of Memphis After Tyre Nichols Death Case" (https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/07/27/department-of-justice-opens-civil-rights-probe-of-memphis-after-tyre-nichols-death-case/)
  • "Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division's failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees" (Statement by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon)

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