A former Memphis Police officer who was charged in 2021 with kidnapping and murdering a man has now been charged at the federal level.
“A federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee, returned an eight-count indictment today charging former Memphis Police Officer Patric J. Ferguson with federal civil rights, kidnapping and weapons offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of a victim identified as R.H.,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). “The indictment also charges Ferguson and a civilian, Joshua M. Rogers, with federal offenses for conspiring to cover up the fatal shooting and destroying evidence of the crimes. The indictment further charges Rogers with accessory after the fact for helping Ferguson cover up his crimes.”
In 2021, Ferguson (pictured above) was charged with First Degree Murder, First Degree Murder in Perpetration of Aggravated Kidnapping, Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, Abuse of a Corpse, and Fabricating and Tampering With Evidence in the alleged murder of 30-year-old Robert Howard.
During the incident, which occurred on January 5 of that year, Ferguson was on duty when he allegedly kidnapped Robert Howard using a personal firearm and drove him to a separate location before killing him.
Robert Howard was a father of three, and his younger brother spoke out at the time of the alleged murder.
“This is a prime example of good people being taken away from their families for no reason. My brother has never did nothing wrong to nobody,” Kortez Howard reportedly said. “This hit me hard because I never could see me burying my brother.”
Michael Rallings, a spokesman for the Memphis Police Department, condemned Ferguson.
“No one is above the law. Knowing that a Memphis Police Officer, someone who took an oath to protect and serve, made the decision to commit this horrific crime is devastating,” he said. “His actions were not that of a law enforcement officer and should not reflect on fellow officers. Our investigators responded swiftly and did an outstanding job by identifying the suspect responsible. This is an example of the professionalism and dedication that is displayed daily. Regardless of who you are, our investigators will conduct a thorough investigation and will seek justice for all victims.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “Patric Ferguson” by Memphis Police Department.
