NAACP demands end of Trump’s anticrime taskforce in Memphis after deaths of Black men | Memphis
The recent deaths of two Black men in Tennessee, one in police custody and the other at the hands of national guard troops, led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to call for the suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force, Donald Trump’s crime-fighting alliance of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Inside a letter The NAACP wrote to acting attorney general Todd Blanche on Friday demanding a “comprehensive, transparent federal investigation” into the actions of the task force, which it said brought federal and military officers with inadequate training in civilian policing into Memphis.
The action comes after 20-year-old new father Tyrin Johnson was shot and killed by two National Guard troops in Tennessee in an early morning incident Sunday; And discovery The body of Darius Chappell, a 34-year-old mother of three young sons, was found in a cell at the Montgomery County Jail two days ago.
Chappell was taken into custody June 29 following what police described as a “use of force” incident in Clarksville. Video of his violent arrest circulating on social media showed a police dog biting him while he was held down by several officers.
Authorities have released few details about either incident. In Johnson’s case, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) alleged He had a gun in his hand and fired.
Meanwhile, the Clarksville police department said it opened an investigation into the deployment of a dog during Chappell’s arrest and placed an officer on administrative leave.
The task force, established by an executive order by Trump last year as part of the president’s efforts to reduce perceived rising crime rates in Democratic-run cities, has been linked to at least four deaths this year.
In the letter, the NAACP said it was aware that the TBI was investigating Johnson’s death, but that it was “not enough,” especially in light of the “conflicting reports” released by various agencies about what happened.
“The federal government has unique expertise and ability to investigate law enforcement misconduct, and in the case of Mr. Johnson, there are challenges that arise given the involvement of federal officials,” he said.
The letter stated that “no officer has been charged and an official cause of death has not been released” in Chappell’s death.
The statement said: “There is a need for transparency regarding the facts surrounding Mr. Chappell’s death. The public deserves facts about the force used and the extent of medical care Mr. Chappell was provided while in custody.”
Addressed directly to Blanche, the letter read: “You swore an oath to support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Yet, throughout your tenure, we have seen the Department of Justice completely withdraw from investigating these matters.”
“The Department has abdicated its responsibility to prosecute officials who violate people’s civil and constitutional rights.”
NAACP president and chief executive Derrick Johnson said in a statement accompanying the letter that the group seeks “transparency and full accountability and justice for impacted communities.”
He said: “The Department of Justice cannot continue to stand by while Black lives are taken. The Department of Justice has a fundamental responsibility to uphold, protect, and defend the U.S. Constitution, and that Constitution includes the rights, safety, and futures of Black Americans.”
“When officers fail to provide equal protection under the law, the federal government must step in with investigative authority. We will not allow the names of Darius Chappell and Tyrin Johnson to be ignored.”
He noted that the NAACP conducted a survey of Memphis residents and found that 63 percent of respondents strongly disapproved of the deployment of the national guard, while 54 percent thought it significantly undermined the safety and trust of residents.
