Fallen Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney Killed in Line of Duty by Friendly Fire, District Attorney’s Office Says

Joseph McKinney

Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney, who was fatally shot last week while responding to a suspicious vehicle call, is reported to have died by friendly fire, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

On April 12, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue.

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Man Accused of Memphis Cop Killing Previously Released on Own Recognizance Despite Police Requesting $150,000 Bond

Jaylen Lobley

The man police say was responsible for the Friday shooting that claimed the life of a Memphis police officer and left two more wounded was previously arrested in March on theft and gun charges.

Memphis Police Department (MPD) arrest and bail records obtained by The Tennessee Star reveal that 18-year-old Jaylen Lobley, who died in the Friday shooting with police, was previously arrested on March 5 after police responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle.

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One Memphis Police Officer Killed, Two Others Shot While Responding to Suspicious Vehicle Occupied by Known Criminal

Memphis Police Department

Reactions have poured in after Memphis police officer Joseph McKinney was shot and killed early Friday morning while he and other officers were responding to a suspicious vehicle call.

On Friday approximately 2:00 a.m., officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

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Memphis Records 100 Homicides in First 100 Days of 2024, Police Say Number Could Swell to Nearly 400

CJ Davis Memphis

Just 100 days into the year, the Memphis Police Department reported on Tuesday that it recorded the city’s 100th homicide of 2024.

Memphis Police Department (MPD) Chief CJ Davis revealed on Tuesday that her department recorded 100 homicides on April 9, coinciding with the 100th day of 2024, as part of a public safety update delivered to the Memphis City Council.

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State Court Postpones Trial of Police Officers Charged with Killing Tyre Nichols Until Federal Trial Concludes: Report

A Memphis judge on Friday postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis police officers charged in the killing of Tyre Nichols until a federal trial against them concludes, the Associated Press reported.

The delay comes after the former officers’ attorneys requested the judge postpone the state trial so as not to “hinder the officers’ rights to defend themselves in both cases,” the outlet continued. The federal trial is set for September 9, 2024.

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Memphis Police Officer in Stable Condition After Being Shot in Line of Duty

A Memphis Police officer is in stable condition after he was shot in the line of duty early Friday morning, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

“At 4:19 am, officers conducted a traffic stop at 240 southbound near South Parkway. During the stop, an officer notified dispatch he had been shot,” said MPD on X. “The unknown motorist fled the scene. The officer was transported to Regional One critical. This is an ongoing investigation.”

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Family of Tyre Nichols to Hold Candlelight Vigils to Commemorate First Anniversary of His Death

Candle Light Vigil

The family of Tyre Nichols, who five black Memphis police officers beat following a traffic stop and foot chase last year, will hold two candlelight vigils on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of his death.

Nichols’ family, who is being represented by civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, will hold a vigil in Memphis at the intersection of Castlegate Lane and Ross Road at 7 p.m. CT and in Nichols’ hometown of Sacramento, California, at the Tyre Nichols Skate Park at 5 p.m. PST.

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DOJ Announces New Resources to Help Memphis Fight Violent Crime

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it will provide more resources for Memphis, which is battling a wave of violent crime and has already broken its annual homicide record. 

“Violent crime deprives communities of a fundamental sense of security in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in a DOJ press release. “This violent crime initiative will bring additional tools and resources used to investigate and prosecute violent crime and apply those tools to gangs and groups who are harming and disrupting communities here in Memphis.”

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Memphis Judge Releases Suspect in Thanksgiving Murder of 15-Year-Old with Zero Bond

An 18-year-old man accused of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old on Thanksgiving was released from a Shelby County jail on his own recognizance Monday, forfeiting zero bond despite allegedly confessing to his role in the crime.

Police said Edio White admitted to driving his co-defendant Conner Tucker, 15, to the Binghampton home of Anthony Mason on November 23, under the guise of Tucker trading firearms with Mason, News Channel 3 reported. When the two teens arrived at Mason’s home, police said Tucker exited the vehicle and shot Mason once in the head, killing him.

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Shelby County Sheriff to Increase Presence in ‘Shopping Areas’ Until Christmas amid Memphis Crime Surge

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office increased its presence in shopping areas on Friday in what the law enforcement body calls Operation Jingle Bells, an effort to deter crime in public spaces during the busy holiday shopping season.

A press release posted to social media explained a “high concentration” of law enforcement will focus on primary shopping areas to “deter car break-ins, shop lifting,” and to keep traffic flowing and parking lots safe for shoppers.

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Mayor-Elect Warns Criminals ‘Terrorizing’ Memphis After Fatal Shooting of St. Jude Research Doctor Alexander Bulakhov

Paul Young Memphis

Memphis Mayor-elect Paul Young (D) warned that a small population of criminals are “terrorizing” the rest of the city’s residents during an appearance on News Channel 3 on Tuesday after the death of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital employee Alexander Bulakhov.

Police told local media Bulakhov was walking with his wife and two-year-old child on November 12 when a man wearing a hoodie pointed a gun at him and demanded his belongings. They report that he complied, but attempted to wrestle the gun away from the assailant after it was pointed at his wife. He was shot in the struggle and died from the shooting.

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TBI Joint Operation with Federal Law Enforcement Results in Locating 13 Child Victims of Human Trafficking

blonde girl outside

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) in conjunction with federal and local law enforcement completed an operation in Memphis to rescue 13 children who are suspected victims of human trafficking. 

Participating in the operation, which was called Operation Not for Sale, were the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Memphis Police Department’s Human Trafficking Task Force and Organized Crime Unit, and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services’ Absconder Unit and Human Trafficking Response Team, according to a release. 

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Former Memphis Officers Federally Indicted in Tyre Nichols’ Death; Still Silence on ‘Vendetta’ Allegations

If Tyre Nichols was targeted by members of a Memphis Police Department violent crime unit because of his alleged involvement with one of the officers’ ex-wives, there’s nothing on the subject included in a new federal indictment against the five former law enforcement officials.

A federal grand jury in Memphis on Tuesday returned a four-count indictment against Emmitt Martin III, 31; Tadarrius Bean, 24; Demetrius Haley, 30; Desmond Mills, Jr., 33; and Justin Smith, 28.

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Memphis Mayor Strickland Grilled on Crime After Viral Assault on Police Officer

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (D) joined FOx13 in Memphis Monday where he was forced to answer some poignant questions about the city’s crime in the wake of a viral video showing a Memphis Police Department (MPD) officer being assaulted by a group of men. 

“All of this is completely unacceptable, and somebody out there knows who did both those actions, and they need to call Crime Stoppers because we need quick justice to all those criminals,” Strickland said.

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TBI Officially Identifies, Charges Thwarted Memphis School Shooting Suspect

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on Wednesday officially confirmed that the suspect in the attempted school shooting at Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South (MHA-FYOS) is Joel Bowman and that he has been charged with several crimes stemming from the incident.

“Today, agents secured and served Bowman with warrants, charging him with one count each of Carrying Weapons on School Property, Reckless Endangerment, Criminal Attempted Second-Degree Murder, Possessing a Firearm During the Commission or Attempt to Commit a Dangerous Felony, and Assault Against a First Responder. At the time of this release, he remained hospitalized in Memphis,” TBI said in a press release. 

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Suspect in Thwarted Memphis School Shooting Identified as Former Student

A man who was shot Monday by Memphis Police after discharging a firearm into the Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South (MHA-FYOS) has been identified as a former student, according to a U.S. Congressman. 

“We have recently learned that the shooter at the Margolin Hebrew Academy was himself Jewish and a former student at the school,” said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) in a statement. “I am pleased the academy had effective security and that the police acted quickly to protect students.”

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Memphis Police Department Visits LGBT Community Leaders During Pride Parade

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) shared a post on its Facebook Page celebrating its involvement with LGBT organizers during “pride month.”

“The Memphis Police Department joined community leaders, visitors, and participants for the 2023 Mid-South Pride Parade on Beale Street,” MPD said on Facebook. “Officers ensured the safety of everyone and provided traffic control around today’s events. The weather was perfect, and the food was excellent.”

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Confirmed: Alleged Carjacker Shot by Memphis Police Is an Illegal Alien

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed for The Tennessee Star that the man arrested for a litany of crimes in Memphis last week was an illegal alien. 

“ICE issued an immigration detainer on May 31 for Honduran national Jairo Ponce, 29, following his arrest by the Memphis Police Department on charges of aggravated robbery, carjacking, aggravated assault on a first responder, employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony and evading arrest,” an ICE spokesperson told The Star Friday. “On an unknown date and location, Ponce entered the United States without being admitted or paroled by an immigration official.”

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Justice Department to Review Memphis Police Department After Tyre Nichols’ Death

The Justice Department on Wednesday announced that it will review the Memphis Police Department’s procedures and produce a national guide for officials to use in assessing specialized policing units in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death.

The review, which was requested by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, will be conducted through the agency’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). It will “cover policies, practices, training, data and processes” relating to the department’s “use of force, de-escalation and specialized units,” the Justice Department said.

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Records: Former Memphis Police Officers Lied About Details of Tyre Nichols Traffic Stop

Documents from Tennessee’s law enforcement regulatory and training agency are shining more light on the concerning conduct of the former Memphis Police officers involved in the Jan. 7 traffic stop that body cam video shows ended in the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols. 

A report filed with the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Commission that sought the officers’ decertification includes a statement from Officer Justin Smith, who insists he used departmental training during Nichols’ arrest.

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Michael Patrick Leahy on Bannon’s WarRoom: Memphis Police Department Statement on Rumors Tyre Nichols Was Targeted for Personal Reasons Sounds Like A Non-Denial Denial

Thursday morning on WarRoom: Battleground, Stephen K. Bannon welcomed The Star News Network’s CEO and Editor and Chief, Michael Patrick Leahy to the show to discuss the Memphis Police Department’s lack of information surrounding the alleged murder of Tyre Nichols.

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Memphis Official: Investigators Are Looking Into Rumors of Tyre Nichols’ Relationship with Former Police Officer’s Wife

Investigators are looking into a rumored connection between Tyre Nichols and the wife of one of the former officer charged in his murder, the Shelby County District Attorney’s office now tells Newsweek. 

The revelation comes after a Memphis Police Department spokeswoman told The Tennessee Star there was no evidence to support rumors of Nichols’ involvement with the wife of ex-cop Demetrius Haley. 

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Carol Swain Says DEI Push for Police Departments Are ‘Not Making the Streets Safer for Anyone’

Live from Music Row, Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Carol Swain in studio to talk about the state of police departments and comment upon the Memphis Police Department’s response to questions about officers personal relations to Tyre Nichols. Leahy: In studio, our very good friend for many years, all-star panelist Carol Swain on the phone right now is Eric, a former police officer here in Nashville who has a question for Carol. Eric, good morning. Caller Eric: Hey. Good morning! Miss Carol, I’m so thankful for you. I just wanted to tell you, I think you do need to be in politics, but you answer your own call. I could go on for hours about the police department. There are many good men and women in that department, but the problem is they’re not allowing the good ones to be in leadership. Let me give you a prime example. When they had the riots and different disturbances all over, and the people were laying in the street, well, I looked at a friend of…

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City of Memphis Says It Will Release All Recordings from Tyre Nichols Traffic Stop

Facing allegations of a cover-up, the city of Memphis says it will release all audio and video recordings in the deadly Tyre Nichols traffic stop. 

“The City is preparing to release these recordings publicly upon completion of the administrative investigation, which is expected to occur in the next few weeks,” Jennifer Sink, Chief Legal Officer for the city of Memphis, said in a statement. “

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Transparency Troubles Dog Memphis Police Department Again in Tyre Nichols Case

On January 15, the Memphis Police Department issued a statement on its “internal investigation” into the death of Tyre Nichols — five days after the 29-year-old black man died. MPD said it “was important to take swift and deliberate action to maintain transparency, accountability, public trust, and legitimacy amongst our community.” 

But the troubled police department has had a host of transparency troubles surrounding the brutal beating of Nichols at the hands of five black police officers  – and a history of closed government offenses. 

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Memphis PD on Claims Tyre Nichols Was Targeted and Former Officers Charged with Murder Were Gang Members: ‘There Is No Evidence That Indicates That Either of These Claims Are True’

Memphis Police Department Public Information Officer Major Karen Rudolph told The Tennessee Star in an emailed statement on Tuesday, “There is no evidence that either of these claims are true,” in response to two questions posed to her by The Star.

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Memphis Police Department Has Reputation for Police Misconduct and Brutality

The video showing five Memphis Police officers brutally beating Tyre Nichols following a traffic stop appears to be the latest example of a law enforcement agency known for police misconduct and corruption. 

While the Mississippi River city has been working to clean up its dirty reputation, Memphis has long struggled with issues of police brutality and criminal cops. 

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Law Enforcement Concerned About New Wave of Riots in Wake of Tyre Nichols’ Death

Protesters gathered in Milwaukee over the weekend to condemn police brutality following the release of video showing the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by Memphis Police officers. 

Unlike the scenes of looting, violence and whole city blocks in flame that accompanied the anti-police protests during the long, hot summer of 2020, the demonstrations in Milwaukee and elsewhere were mostly peaceful. 

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Three Paramedics Terminated, Seventh Memphis Police Officer Relieved of Duty Amid Ongoing Investigation into Death of Tyre Nichols

On Monday, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) announced that a seventh officer has been relieved of duty amid the ongoing investigation into the beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. In addition, the Memphis Fire Dispatch (MFD) announced that three paramedics have been terminated from the Memphis Fire Department as a result of its own internal investigation into Nichols’ death.

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