# Recent Developments in Memphis **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 4, 2023, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302 "2023-02-04T12:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2023, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/1 "2023-02-04T12:24:12Z")
I just did a quick search for “Memphis” to make sure there wasn’t a threat about the horrible murder by the police in that city. There does not seem to be one. (There are threads about lots of bad things that have happened in that city. Tough town.) The story of the murder of [Tyre Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tyre_Nichols) is well-known at this point. There simply cannot be any justification. It got even worse when we discovered the medical people were part of it. These are supposed to save lives. But there is an under-reported development. It is sort-of related. The other day, a pair of policemen were called to a public library in the nice part of town. A homeless person (or an “unhoused person” if you prefer) was making trouble and was reported for trespassing. There was no fight it seems. The guy pulled out a gun and shot and wounded a policeman. His partner shot better and killed the trespasser. Last night [Officer Geoffrey Redd](https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/new-details-about-mpd-officer-hurt-east-memphis-library-shooting/CHMFYZYFKFEGVJVEUHKA2D46K4/) was in very serious condition. That’s all. The two are not directly connected. Well, except as example of how very violent our society has become. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/2 "2023-02-04T14:02:02Z")
I see today’s _New York Times_ has an article [detailing](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/us/memphis-people-trauma.html) all the horrible stuff that has happened in Memphis of late. (But not the policeman being shot.) It is a hot mess. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/3 "2023-02-04T14:59:12Z")
You must’ve missed this thread: > [@Tyre Nichols death - discussion as the video comes out](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tyre-nichols-death-discussion-as-the-video-comes-out/978910): > > Perhaps this goes in another forum? I’m not a “Great Debates” poster, but this feels political and social so I put it here. It is clear in advance of the video that the police were wrong and massively so. All five officers are fired and are facing murder charges. You know the police wouldn’t immediately fire them if they were not sure and the video is reported to be shocking, like even more shocking than George Floyd. All five officers are Black and so was Nichols. Does this impact the convers… ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/4 "2023-02-04T15:37:46Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I just did a quick search for “Memphis” to make sure there wasn’t a threat about the horrible murder by the police in that city. You must have missed this sentence. I searched for the wrong term. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/5 "2023-02-04T17:21:22Z")
Should have searched for Tyre Nichols. It was the first result. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/6 "2023-02-05T09:12:12Z")
Yep. I have a long history of starting threads like this. I tried to be careful this time. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/7 "2024-12-05T15:45:34Z")
> The Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people, according to the findings of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation launched after the beating death of [Tyre Nichols](https://apnews.com/hub/tyre-nichols) after a traffic stop in 2023. > **[Memphis police use excessive force and discriminate against Black people,...](https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-federal-investigation-beac021fcf8b5fd255ce79520cec86fa)** > > The Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people, according to the findings of a U.S. Yet Memphis is 64% black. The Mayor is black as is the majority of the city council. > **[City Council](https://www.memphistn.gov/city-council/)** > > \[et\_pb\_section fb\_built=”1″ disabled\_on=”on|off|off” \_builder\_version=”4.26.0″ \_module\_preset=”default” background\_color=”#166A8C” module\_alignment=”right” min\_height=”88px” custom\_margin=”-61px||-70px||false|false” custom\_padding=”54px||78px|||”... I find it rather odd that the black Mayor and majority black City Council decided to have a Police Department which discriminates against blacks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/8 "2024-12-05T17:38:51Z")
I don’t expect to hear of federal investigations and intervention like this for the next four years. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/9 "2025-05-07T19:32:35Z")
> **[3 former Memphis officers acquitted in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he...](https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-death-memphis-officers-trial-bad7bc4273fcc272f7b884d5d7386261)** > > Three former Memphis officers have been acquitted of state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in 2023. > The three defendants still face the prospect of years in prison after they were [convicted of federal charges](https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-beating-death-memphis-officers-trial-5e19e800cd5017c89cb652cfc8235ea2) last year. It’s hard to understand why they were acquitted. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/10 "2025-05-07T22:34:59Z")
No it isn’t. Although I assume you were being sarcastic. It’s easy to understand _why_ they were acquitted. It’s impossible to understand how they were _properly_ acquitted. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/11 "2025-08-29T03:54:15Z")
I didn’t put this in the other thread mentioned above because that one had devolved into a gun debate and never followed up on the trials of the officers who killed Tyre Nichols. Two officers pleaded guilty in the state and federal trials. The other three had been found not guilty in the state trial. In the federal trial, they were found guilty on some charges and not guilty on others. They were to be sentenced this week. Now the three officers are getting a new federal trial because of suspected bias of the original judge. > **[Judge grants new trial for 3 Memphis ex-officers charged with the fatal...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tyre-nichols-officers-memphis-new-trial/)** > > A judge has ordered a new trial for three former Memphis police officers who were convicted of federal charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-developments-in-memphis/979302/12 "2025-09-16T02:45:58Z")
> **[Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, calling it a 'replica' of his...](https://apnews.com/article/trump-memphis-national-guard-deployment-crime-washington-f678a17a66d3e49b2f67930a6ea70e6b)** > > President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities.