Allegations of racial profiling and violence
The Department of Justice announced that they are opening a civil rights investigation into the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department.
Multiple reports have been filed to the Justice Department regarding racial profiling by Memphis police officers as well as disproportionate escalations of violence against Black citizens compared to similar police encounters with white citizens. Almost two-thirds of the population of Memphis, Tennessee, is African American.
“Today we are not concluding that these allegations of excessive force; improper searches and stops; and racial disparities are sufficient to show a legal violation without further analysis. But they do warrant a full investigation,” said Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. “This federal civil rights investigation will examine whether the police department has violated the Constitution or federal civil rights laws in a systemic way.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Assistant Attorney General Clarke as she heads the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ.
- For Attorney General Merrick Garland to seek God’s guidance as he leads the Justice Department.
- For the leaders of the Memphis Police as they assess the weaknesses of the department.
Sources: Department of Justice
