Arabic version: الرابطة الوطنية للنهوض بالأشخاص الملونين تطالب بتعليق فرقة ممفيس سيف
The NAACP has demanded the suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force and a federal investigation following the recent deaths of two Black men in Tennessee. In a letter to acting attorney general Todd Blanche, the civil rights group urged a pause on the taskforce’s operations and demanded “a thorough, transparent federal investigation.”
According to The Guardian, the action follows the shooting death of Tyrin Johnson, a 20-year-old new father shot by two Tennessee national guard troops, and the discovery of the body of Darius Chappell, a 34-year-old father of three, in a Montgomery county jail cell. Authorities have released few details: the Tennessee bureau of investigation asserted Johnson had a handgun and had fired shots, while Clarksville police said Chappell was taken into custody on 29 June after a reported “use of force” incident and that video circulating showed a police dog appearing to bite him as officers held him down. Clarksville police have launched an investigation into the dog deployment and placed an officer on administrative leave.
The NAACP’s letter calls for “a thorough, transparent federal investigation” into the actions of the taskforce, which the group said has surged federal and military officers into Memphis with insufficient training for civilian policing. The organization noted that the taskforce, established by an executive order last year, has been linked to at least four deaths this year. The letter also said there is “a need for transparency into the facts surrounding Mr Chappell’s death,” and that no officers have been charged nor has an official cause of death been issued in his case. Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president and CEO, said the group sought “transparency to affected communities and full accountability and justice.”
This story matters because two recent deaths involved different arms of law enforcement and because local public opinion, the NAACP reported, is largely critical: a survey conducted by the group found 63% of Memphis respondents strongly disapproved of the deployment of the national guard and 54% said it had significantly undermined residents’ safety and trust. The involvement of federal and military personnel, the lack of publicly available facts, and reported ties between the taskforce and multiple deaths underpin calls for federal investigation and accountability.
What happens next: the NAACP has called on acting attorney general Todd Blanche to lead the requested “thorough, transparent federal investigation” and to suspend the Memphis Safe Task Force while the matter is reviewed.
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