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DOJ announces it will review Memphis Police Department following Tyre Nichols’ death as more video will be released
CNN — [Breaking news update, published at 1:09 p.m. ET] The release of additional audio and video in the police beating death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis will be delayed amid a legal challenge, according to a court order. A hearing on the issue is set for Wednesday afternoon after a motion was filed by an attorney for one of the former officers charged in Nichols’ death, Allison Fouche, spokesperson for the Memphis mayor’s office, told CNN. The order comes in response to a motion filed by Blake Ballin, an attorney for Desmond Mills Jr. [Previous story, published at 12:43 p.m. ET] The planned release of hours of additional video from the traffic stop that led to the deadly police beating of Tyre Nichols is on hold amid a legal challenge from one of the former officers charged in Nichols’ death. A hearing on the issue is set to take place Wednesday afternoon after a motion was filed by the ex-officer’s attorney, Allison Fouche, a spokesperson for the Memphis mayor’s office, told CNN. Officials were expected to release Wednesday about 20 more hours of footage from the night of the beating in early January, along with some records from the city’s now-finished internal probe into 13 police officers and four fire department personnel, a Memphis official said. The official revealed Tuesday that a seventh police officer has been fired and others were suspended or left the force after the brutal encounter in the western Tennessee city. Previously, authorities said six officers were fired, five of whom have been criminally charged. The city’s internal investigations into the beatings have finished, so the city intends to release the additional video footage Wednesday afternoon, Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink told a city council committee Tuesday morning. The unreleased footage most notably will include audio of what was said after the beating and after an ambulance took Nichols to a hospital, and it could play an investigative role as his office contemplates additional charges, the county prosecutor previously told CNN. News of the defense attorney’s legal challenge Wednesday came soon after the Department of Justice announced it will perform a review of the Memphis Police Department in the wake of Nichols’ death. The review, requested by the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, and the city’s police chief, will cover “policies, practices, training, data, and processes related to MPD’s use-of-force, de-escalation, and specialized units,” according to a news release from the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A public report outlining the office’s findings and recommendations will be made public at the end of the review, the release states. The announcement Memphis came shortly before the DOJ issued a scathing critique of the Louisville Metro Police Department following a separate two-year review of that agency after the botched raid that killed Breonna Taylor. Footage release earlier contradicted police statements Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was repeatedly punched and kicked by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop and brief pursuit on foot on January 7. Nichols was hospitalized after the beating and died three days later. Five police officers, who are also Black, were fired following an internal investigation and were indicted on criminal charges January 26. Body camera videos and surveillance footage from the arrest were released on January 27, showing the severity of the beating to the public and drawing widespread condemnation from residents and police officials alike. The video shook a nation long accustomed to videos of police brutality – especially against people of color – and spurred protests and vigils in Memphis and other major US cities. The video released in January contradicted what officers said happened in the initial police report filed after Nichols’ beating, the county prosecutor said, and prompted renewed national debate on justice in policing and reform. The Memphis City Council on Tuesday passed several public safety ordinances related to policing. Among them was one that established an “annual independent review” of the police department’s training academy, and another that established an independent review process for use of force incidents, as well as the deaths or serious injury of people in custody. In early February Shelby County prosecutor Steven Mulroy told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer the video released in January shows “the relevant parts” of the initial stop and the beating after the foot chase, but the yet-to-be-released footage could play a role in investigations. Potential charges of “false reporting” related to the initial police report were being investigated, Erica Williams, a spokesperson for Mulroy’s office, told CNN around the same time. When asked whether anyone new will face criminal charges now that the city’s investigation is finished, Williams said Tuesday: “Not at this time.” Mulroy’s office previously told CNN it would wait for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to conclude an investigation before deciding on more charges. A 7th officer was fired, and one who retired likely would have been, too, city attorney says The city will also release Wednesday some records related to the internal probes of the 13 police officers and four fire department personnel, including documents indicating what they were being investigated for, Sink said. Other investigative files have information that needs to be redacted, and will be posted online when that is completed, she added without giving a timeline. But Sink already announced the bottom line on Tuesday: Seven police officers were fired, three were suspended, one retired and two had their investigations dropped as result of the probes, she said. That was the first time the city announced a seventh officer was fired. That person’s name, and details about what the officer is accused of doing, weren’t immediately released. Also, the officer who retired likely would have been terminated, Sink said without elaborating about what that officer was accused of doing. The city has previously said that three Memphis fire department personnel who responded to the scene – two emergency medical technicians and a fire lieutenant – were fired, though none was criminally charged. On Tuesday, Sink said a fourth fire department worker was suspended. Sink did not elaborate. The two fired EMTs did not conduct a primary examination of Nichols for the first 19 minutes they were on scene, and the lieutenant stayed in a fire truck, according to a state emergency medical services board. A council member asked Sink whether anyone who struck Nichols was still part of either the police department or fire department. “No. All of those officers … have been charged criminally,” Sink said. Those five former Memphis police officers indicted in January were arraigned February 17 on criminal charges. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Second-degree murder in Tennessee is considered a Class A felony punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison. Their attorneys entered not guilty pleas on their behalf. They are due back in court on May 1. The five charged officers were part of the department’s specialized SCORPION unit, which was launched in 2021 to take on a rise in violent crime in Memphis. Memphis police announced the unit would be permanently deactivated shortly after video of Nichols’ arrest was released in January, and the DOJ said Wednesday it would separately review specialized units across the US and create a guide for their use in addition to its review of the Memphis Police Department. Shortly after video of Nichols’ arrest was released in January, Memphis police announced the unit would be permanently deactivated as a sign the department was taking “proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted.” Police in February identified a sixth officer who was fired. Preston Hemphill, who is White, saying he was accused of violating departmental policies including those covering personal conduct and truthfulness. Seven officers – beyond the six who’d been fired at the time – were facing disciplinary action for policy violations, Sink said February 7. Tuesday’s announcement covers the discipline decisions for all 13. In addition, two Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies who were at the scene were suspended for five days each without pay for their parts in the case, according to a sheriff’s office news release obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ. CNN’s Pamela Kirkland, Shimon Prokupecz and Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
Read full US Department of Justice report on Louisville police violations and recommended reform
Nearly two years after announcing plans to investigate Louisville Metro and the city's police department in the aftermath of the killing of Breonna Taylor, the U.S. Department of Justice released its scathing report Wednesday.The report is 90 pages long, with a lengthy list of reported violations. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was set to discuss the release at a press conference Wednesday in downtown Louisville.The report includes 36 recommended remedial measures as well, closing by noting the department "has reasonable cause to believe that Louisville Metro and LMPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law. Louisville Metro’s and LMPD’s unlawful practices harm community members and undermine public safety.""We look forward to working with city and police leaders, officers, and the broader Louisville community to stop the unlawful practices, build trust, and ensure that Louisville Metro and LMPD serve and protect the people of Louisville," it concludes.Updating:Findings of federal investigation into LMPD after Breonna Taylor's killing coming WednesdayCheck out the full report here.View in new tab
Louisville Metro Police Department uses ‘excessive force’ and ‘unlawfully discriminates against Black people,’ DOJ report says
Washington CNN — The Louisville Metro Police Department routinely uses excessive force and practices “an aggressive style of policing” against Black people, the Justice Department said Wednesday after an investigation launched following the botched raid that killed Breonna Taylor. The scathing assessment paints a shocking portrait of racist and abusive conduct in the Louisville police that harkens to practices more commonly seen in some southern cities during the civil rights era. Investigators identified a pattern of police leaders in recent years commissioning reports that documented disproportionate violence directed toward African Americans and ignoring the findings or burying the internal reports. The abuses extended to the treatment of the disabled and even sex assault victims. “For years, LMPD has practiced an aggressive style of policing that it deploys selectively, especially against Black people, but also against vulnerable people throughout the city,” the report said. “LMPD cites people for minor offenses, like wide turns and broken taillights, while serious crimes like sexual assault and homicide go unsolved,” the report added. “Some officers demonstrate disrespect for the people they are sworn to protect. Some officers have videotaped themselves throwing drinks at pedestrians from their cars; insulted people with disabilities; and called Black people ‘monkeys,’ ‘animal,’ and ‘boy.’” Louisville police use “unreasonable tactics” including unjustified neck restraints, police dogs and tasers, DOJ found. The report also found that the police department executes search warrants without knocking and announcing. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the results of the investigation Wednesday. “This conduct is unacceptable. It is heartbreaking. It erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing and it is an affront to the vast majority of officers who put their lives on the line every day to serve Louisville with honor,” Garland said at a news conference. “And it is an affront to the people of Louisville who deserve better.”
The Boogaloo Bois Are Plotting a Bloody Comeback: ‘We Will Go to War’
Dozens of arrests fueled speculation that the Hawaiian shirt-wearing, gun-loving anti-government group was done for. But it seems they’d merely gone underground and appear to be angrier than ever.
Live updates: Findings of federal investigation into LMPD after Breonna Taylor’s killing coming Wednesday
The Courier Journal has learned that the U.S. Department of Justice is set to announce the findings of a sweeping investigation of Louisville Metro and the city's police department on Wednesday, the result of a nearly two-year probe following the killing of Breonna Taylor.The investigation, announced in April 2021 after nearly a year of protests over Taylor's killing at the hands of LMPD officers, aimed to assess "all types of force" used by local police, including potential violations of the First Amendment, whether the department engages in discriminatory policing and whether it worked in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.Recent headlines:Louisville police contract negotiations won't be made public. Why some want to change that"The investigation will include a comprehensive review of LMPD policies, training, and supervision, as well as LMPD’s systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline," the department's announcement on April 26, 2021, said.What happened in the Breonna Taylor caseTaylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician in Louisville, was shot and killed by LMPD officers serving a no-knock warrant at her apartment in the early-morning hours of March 13, 2020. Her death was a key factor behind national protests that summer over police killings of Black Americans and was at the center of months of demonstrations in Louisville, and Wednesday's announcement comes nearly three years after the fatal shooting.After Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and his team of prosecutors presented the shooting to a grand jury, just one officer who fired their weapon that night was indicted locally – Brett Hankison, on wanton endangerment charges stemming from rounds he fired that entered a neighbor's apartment. He was acquitted in March 2022.In August 2022, however, four former officers were indicted by a federal grand jury – Hankison, on excessive force charges, along with Joshua Jaynes, Kelly Ann Goodlett and Kyle Meany, who were accused of taking steps to falsify the warrant used in the raid at Taylor's apartment. Goodlett later pleaded guilty, while charges against the other former officers are still pending.Steve Conrad, who was LMPD's chief at the time of Taylor's death, was fired in June 2020 after local barbecue stand owner David McAtee was shot and killed by law enforcement officials breaking up a crowd near his business on an early night of the protests. He was fired by then-Mayor Greg Fischer after it was determined officers were not wearing operational body cameras at the time of that shooting. Fischer faced intense pressure to step down amid the 2020 protests but remained in office until his third and final term expired at the end of 2022.The city of Louisville later settled with Taylor's family for $12 million and agreed to a number of police reforms.Reach The Courier Journal's breaking news team at [email protected].
ACC Tournament: Kenny Payne’s first Louisville basketball season ends – Courier-Journal
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The worst Louisville men's basketball season ever is over. Year 1 of the Kenny Payne era ended with a program-record 28th loss — the Cardinals' 19th by double digits — to No. 10-seeded Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday evening at Greensboro Coliseum. Payne has asked for patience at every step thus far on his quest to restore his alma mater to national prominence. His manta has been, "Win or learn," rather than win or lose. So, when he addressed his players in the locker room after their season came to an end, he said he told the guys he "couldn't care less" about the record that will forever be attached to their legacies at a program he holds so dear. "I'm in charge of making sure that these young men are loved," Payne said. "... Now, I have to take the next few days and gather my thoughts and see, 'How do I do this in a way that I bring back Louisville to where it needs to be?'"ACC Tournament:Here's the bracket and how to watch every game in GreensboroNo. 15-seeded U of L (4-28, 2-19 ACC) clawed its way back from a 10-point deficit to lead 34-31 at halftime. The game was tied at 45 apiece with 15:30 to play in regulation, but the Eagles (16-16, 10-11) outscored the Cardinals 35-17 the rest of the way en route to an 80-62 victory. "They were the aggressor for most of the second half," Payne said. "They put us on our heels and made us look bad, because they played with more fire, more toughness, more fight than we did."Louisville athletics director Josh Heird said in January, when the team was 2-16 and winless in ACC play, that he will support Payne in his rebuilding efforts 110% "until he does something that says, 'Hey, I don't think he should be our basketball coach.'""He hasn't done one thing that has shown me that he shouldn't be our basketball coach," Heird said at the time. "Now, does that mean that any of us are satisfied with two wins? Absolutely not. Like I said, it is extremely frustrating. And I can assure you, it's frustrating. I know it's frustrating to Kenny. It's frustrating to staff, and it's frustrating to our student-athletes."When asked after the season-ending loss if he's had any conversations with Heird during the stretch run of the year about his and the program's future, the head coach said he hadn't. "I don't know if there's a reason to have a conversation with Josh Heird about my future," Payne said. "I go to work every day. I love Josh. Josh says he loves me. There's nothing to talk about. I've got a job to do."El Ellis:Louisville basketball star wants to leave 'as a winner.' Here's how losses shaped him'I don't know what the future holds'Payne's job may soon get busier with the arrival of the offseason. On March 13, players can begin entering their names into the NCAA transfer portal. Some will likely be leaving Louisville after postseason debriefs with the coach. "However that goes, I'm ready," said JJ Traynor, a junior forward from Bardstown, Kentucky, with two years of eligibility remaining, whose father played at U of L from 1993-95. After adding just two players — sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and walk-on guard Hercy Miller — and missing out on several others through the portal heading into Year 1, Payne needs to make a splash when it reopens. He described the qualities he's looking for in potential acquisitions just days before the ACC Tournament. "This is why teams try and get older players out of the portal and elsewhere," Payne said after a loss to Virginia in the regular-season finale. "So that you have guys who can fight, guys who understand fighting and playing together and mental toughness."The player on Payne's inaugural roster with the biggest decision to make, however, has said he isn't considering the transfer portal. That would be El Ellis, who in what could have been his last game donning a Louisville uniform tied Boston College's Makai Ashton-Langford with a game-high 16 points despite a 17-minute scoreless stretch to start the first half. When Payne took Ellis out of the game with 34 seconds to play, the Durham, North Carolina, native yanked off his headband, pulled his jersey up toward his eyes and with his head hung low walked away from the court toward one of the tunnels inside Greensboro Coliseum before returning to congratulate the Eagles on their win."I don't know what the future holds right now," said Ellis, who plans to test the professional waters before deciding whether or not to use an extra year of eligibility, granted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for a final season at U of L. "I feel like I gave everything this season, and things just didn't go as planned."Louisville basketball recruiting:These players have signed to the Cardinals' 2023 class'What is there to evaluate?'Payne was also asked after the loss about his plans for evaluating his staff's performance in Year 1, which ended with the Cardinals sitting at 292nd out of 363 Division I teams on statistician Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings. His response: "What is there to evaluate?""I have one of the best staffs in college basketball," Payne said. "I can tell you that they're unique individuals that have had so much success in this game. I can't believe you just asked that question, because you're looking at guys who have accomplished more in their life as players — forget coaching. Their experience in life is why I hired them. They are great coaches, and they gave these kids love every day."I asked them to love the young men. That's why I hired them," he added. "To adopt their dreams, that's why I hired them. Nothing else. They did their jobs. They did a great job. I love my staff."Road to recovery:Louisville's Mike James spent year getting basketball ready. Here's what fueled his returnThe players have said they've felt the love. Ellis specifically credited the staff with helping him reach "a different spirit, a different energy" while shouldering a heavy burden as the team's floor general. Both Traynor and redshirt freshman Mike James showed signs of growth as the season of, "Win or learn" unfolded. "The only people you really got are the people in this locker room," Traynor said. "Everybody was talking about us this year and the season we had, but (I know) moving forward that we're really a family, and we're really all we got."There remains, however, a lot to learn. "Every second, every minute matters — in practice, in film, weights — everything matters," James said when asked for his biggest takeaway from the year. "Every second on the court matters; every possession on the court matters. "Everything matters in college basketball. I just hope that we learn from that and we get better."Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.
Gaia’s reverses fortunes as COVID-era trends fade – BizWest
Gaia Inc.’s headquarters in Louisville. Christopher Wood/BizWest LOUISVILLE — When the world shut down in the early portion of the COVID-19 pandemic, [...]