Official announcements from the Memphis City Government or DOJ press releases

Memphis Rejects DOJ Oversight After Police Reform Probe Finds Excessive Force Following Tyre Nichols Death

Dec 5, 2024, 12:05 AM

Memphis city officials have declined to enter into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding police reform. This decision comes as the Justice Department released findings from a federal investigation that concluded the Memphis Police Department violated the Constitution and federal law. The investigation, initiated following the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols, determined that the department employs excessive force and discriminates against Black individuals. Memphis officials characterized the Justice Department's push for federal oversight as a 'rush to judgment,' indicating their intention to resist federal supervision of the police force.