The United States Department of Justice [DOJ] will review the shooting death of Memphis teenager Darrius Stewart by a Memphis Police Officer.
The review was announced Monday by U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Edward Stanton who said the review will be conducted with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Here’s what Stanton said in a statement Monday:
“The DOJ has been conducting an independent, comprehensive, and careful review of the evidence collected related to the shooting of Stewart. A team of agents, along with experienced prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., are conducting the review, which encompasses all of the circumstances surrounding Stewart’s death.
“At this time, the DOJ’s review is ongoing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot disclose any information about the Department’s internal deliberations.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal, state, and local partners take very seriously all allegations of civil rights violations by law enformcenet officers. The department will continue to devote the necessary resources to examine any such allegations and will aggressively prosecute criminal civil rights violations whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so.”
The announcement comes just one day before the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s file on the Stewart case is expected to be opened to the public.
Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen has asked for a DOJ review of the case since July. Here’s what Cohen said in a statement Monday:
“I am pleased that the Department of Justice and FBI are conducting a comprehensive review of the Darrius Stewart shooting,” Cohen. “In July, I asked the Department of Justice to open an independent investigation to determine whether any federal civil rights violations had occurred and have continued to urge them to do so. This case should have the full, fair and public review it deserves.”
