A member of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) has been arrested and charged with the kidnapping and murder of another man while on duty.
According to a press release posted to MPD’s Twitter account, Officer Patric Ferguson has been 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.
Howard was reported missing on January 6 by his girlfriend, who had last seen him the night before.
“Through an investigation, officers determined that the victim was taken from the residence in the 3500 block of Mark Twain Street and was shot by 29-year-old Patric Ferguson, who is known to the victim,” the release said. “Patric Ferguson is a Memphis Police Officer and was on duty when this incident occurred”
The press release alleges that Ferguson, using a personal handgun, kidnapped Howard outside the residence on Mark Twain Street and forced him into the back of his squad car. He then allegedly drove him to a different location, where Howard was shot and killed.
“A second individual, 28-year-old Joshua Roberts, an acquaintance of Ferguson, assisted Ferguson with relocating Mr. Howard’s body after he was killed,” the release said. “Rogers was arrested and charged with Accessory After the Fact, Abuse of a Corpse, and Fabricating and Tampering With Evidence.”
In the press release, Agency Director Michael Rawlings said Ferguson’s actions do not reflect the rest of the police department:
“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. 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.”
Howard was a father of three, and his family is speaking out about his 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,” his younger brother Kortez Howard reportedly said. “This hit me hard because I never could see me burying my brother.”
Read the full release here:
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) January 10, 2021
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Patric Ferguson” by Memphis Police Department.
“No ne is above the law”.
Yeah, bullshit.
“His actions were not that of a law enforcement officer and should not reflect on fellow officers. …” Although this statement is 100% true, how come there weren’t “instant” riots in the streets? This crime was certainly as heinous as the George Floyd incident. Probably more so, don’t you think? There’s no indication of drugs, being part of the “cause of death”, right? And a bullet to the head is quite a bit more conclusive than a knee on the neck, right?
But where is BLM on this incident? Their silence on this and the all of the other “black on black” violent crimes is stunning! I guess they just haven’t figured out, yet, how to pin it on Trump or his supporters. And maybe the lack of riots is because all of the BLM/Antifa agitators were taking a well deserved break, after all of their hard work up in DC. Just sayin’
And finally, Memphis has about 2100 police officers. One bad apple out of 2100 is too many but is also 0.05%. When 100 “Trump supporters” out of close to 1 million, broke into the Capital, which is only 0.01% , how come it a threat to our Democracy?
Are you starting to understand the situation?
Cohen’s finest. Par for the course.