Tag: Memphis Police Department

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Man Accused of Killing Police Officer Turns Himself In

Tremaine Wilbourn turned himself in Tuesday afternoon.

Tremaine Wilbourn, the man accused of shooting Memphis Police officer Sean Bolton on Saturday night, turned himself in to authorities on Monday afternoon.

Memphis Police Director (MPD) Toney Armstrong was contacted at 4:53 p.m. and advised that Wilbourn had turned himself in to the U.S. Marshalls Office. Wilbourn was then taken into MPD custody and is being questioned by the MPD’s homicide bureau.

“I would again like to thank everyone, the citizens of Memphis, residents abroad, and fellow law enforcement agencies who have reached out with prayers, condolences, and support. In particular, I want to thank the officers of the Memphis Police Department and the U.S. Marshals’ services for their tireless efforts,” Armstrong said in a press release issued on Monday afternoon.

On Saturday night at 9:18 p.m., the MPD received a call from one of their own radios after a citizen found Bolton and used his radio to call for help. Bolton was shot multiple times and later died at the Regional Medical Center.

Before he was shot, Bolton had approached a 2002 Mercedes-Benz that was parked illegally on Summerland Avenue in Parkway Village. A passenger in the vehicle, later identified as Wilbourn, confronted Bolton. A brief struggle ensued between the two, and Wilbourn allegedly shot Bolton multiple times. The driver of the vehicle and the suspect fled the scene, but the driver later turned himself into police. He was released without charge.

Police searched the vehicle after the driver turned himself in and found 1.7 grams of pot and some digital scales. They believe Bolton interrupted a drug deal, and police are unsure if any drugs were removed from the vehicle after the car fled the scene.

Wilbourn was on supervised release by the U.S. Western District Court for a 121-month sentence for bank robbery. 

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Warrant Issued for Suspect in Memphis Police Officer’s Death

Tremaine Wilbourn

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) has identified the gunman who killed officer Sean Bolton, 33, on Saturday night. A warrant for first-degree murder has been issued for 29-year-old Tremaine Wilbourn. Wilbourn remains at large, and a police spokesperson issued an email that said he is “considered to be armed and dangerous.”

On Saturday night at 9:18 p.m., the MPD received a call from one of their own radios after a citizen found Bolton and used his radio to call for help. Bolton was shot multiple times and later died at the Regional Medical Center.

The MPD has issued new information explaining that Bolton had approached a 2002 Mercedes-Benz that was parked illegally on Summerland Avenue in Parkway Village. A passenger in the vehicle, later identified as Wilbourn, confronted Bolton. A brief struggle ensued between the two, and Wilbourn allegedly shot Bolton multiple times. The driver of the vehicle and the suspect fled the scene, but the driver later turned himself into police. He was released without charge.

Police searched the vehicle after the driver turned himself in and found 1.7 grams of pot and some digital scales. They believe Bolton interrupted a drug deal, and police are unsure if any drugs were removed from the vehicle after the car fled the scene.

Wilbourn is currently on supervised release by the U.S. Western District Court for a 121-month sentence for bank robbery. 

”As I have said many times, to lose a loved one or a family member is a horrific event. Last night, we lost not only an officer, but a great man, a dedicated servant to our community, and a family member,” said MPD Director Toney Armstrong in a statement.

The U.S. Marshall Service is offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest of Wilbourn. Anyone with information on Wilbourn’s whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 528-CASH.

Bolton was hired by the MPD in 2010 and worked at Mt. Moriah station. He graduated from White Station High School in 1999. He was veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Iraq.

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MPD Does Not Have Passenger Policy For Traffic Stops

Darrius Stewart

Darrius Stewart, the 19-year-old Memphis man who was shot and killed by Memphis Police officer Connor Schilling, was a passenger in a car pulled over for having a headlight out.

The driver of the vehicle reportedly got off with a ticket, but police on the scene put Stewart in the back of a squad car while running a check for active warrants. The police account of what happened says that, when Schilling opened the squad car to handcuff Stewart, the man kicked the door and tried to attack the officer. Shortly after the warrant check, police reported that Stewart had been shot and an ambulance was called for. Stewart later died at The Med. Some have questioned whether or not the police should have even been checking on warrants for a passenger.

When asked if the Memphis Police Department (MPD) had a policy in place on dealing with passengers during traffic stops, MPD spokesperson Karen Rudolph said no set policy exists.

“There is no policy in place that says to or not to check passengers in a vehicle; however, it is common practice for officers to identify those they come in contact with during a traffic stop or while on the scene of any other type of call. The person may be requested but not compelled to provide identification or other information,” Rudolph wrote in an email to the Flyer.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, Memphis chapter NAACP president Keith Norman said they were looking into the rights of passengers in traffic stops.

“We have questions about what are the rights of a passenger under the rule of law during a mere traffic violation,” Norman said. “Should officers have the right to question everyone in the car? This can lead to inappropriate contact with citizens who have not committed a crime.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Mayor A C Wharton released a statement on the need for a clear policy on questioning, searching, and detaining passengers in cars at traffic stops.

“I’ve not gotten a clear answer,” said Wharton. “I have asked Director [Toney] Armstrong to do a thorough review and make sure we immediately get a clearly understood policy as to when it is standard operating procedure or permissible to question, detain and search a passenger. Police stops are made every day and officers need to know this.”

“This not just about the Stewart case. We have heard assertions about ‘driving while Black’, now we hear questions about ‘riding while Black’. The public wants to know what the courts say about their rights as passengers, what MPD policy is, and what’s being taught in the police academy. These are the questions I’m being asked and that we need answers to,” Wharton said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently looking into the case. Schilling has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

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NAACP Expresses Support for TBI Investigating Police Shooting

Darrius Stewart

In a press conference at First Baptist-Broad on Wednesday morning, Keith Norman, president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP, said the organization supports the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) looking into the police shooting death of Darrius Stewart.

Norman said the organization helped state Representative G.A. Hardaway in crafting a bill to mandate that all police-involved shootings in the state be investigated by the TBI rather than by police departments in their own jurisdictions.

“No local body should should do an investigation of a police shooting. An independent body should investigate,” Norman said. 

On Monday, the Memphis Police Department and Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirch announced that Stewart’s Friday night shooting death by Memphis Police officer Connor Schilling would be investigated by the TBI rather than by the MPD. The decision has been criticized by some because TBI files are sealed from the public. Many are calling for more transparency in the investigation.

Norman said he supported that transparency, and he urged citizens to push for a change in the law that would require TBI documents to be made public.

“I would encourage all citizens to get involved in petitioning for a change in the law so that findings could be made public,” Norman said.

Norman said the NAACP will also be looking into protocol for dealing with passengers in cars during traffic stops. Stewart was riding in a car that was pulled over for having a headlight out. 

Norman said that people should remain calm while the investigation is underway. Stewart was placed in the back of a squad car during the traffic stop while Schilling checked for warrants. The police account of what happened says that, when Schilling opened the squad car to handcuff Stewart, the man kicked the door and tried to attack the officer. Shortly after the warrant check, police reported that Stewart had been shot and an ambulance was called for. Stewart later died at The Med. Some have questioned whether or not the police should have even been checking on warrants for a passenger.

“We have questions about what are the rights of a passenger under the rule of law during a mere traffic violation,” Norman said. “Should officers have the right to question everyone in the car? This can lead to inappropriate contact with citizens who have not committed a crime.”

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Rape Kit Update

More than half of the total back-logged inventory of rape kits have now been analyzed or are awaiting analysis at labs, the city’s Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Taskforce revealed today.

This month’s report shows that 53 percent of the kits have been tested or are at labs. As a result of the DNA tests conducted so far, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) has initiated 566 investigations — 163 are active and 403 have closed. Those closed investigations have netted 98 indictment requests of known individuals or for DNA profiles. There have been 58 suspects identified, and 26 of them are multi-case offenders.

The $1 million sexual assault kit storage facility is nearing completion, and the SAK Taskforce expects it will be ready for move-in by late July.

The MPD is asking anyone who has previously reported a sexual assault to call their hotline and check on the status of their case. That number is 901-636-3438.

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Big Moves Ahead for Memphis Police Department Facilities

CREDIT: Toby Sells

Some big moves are planned for the Memphis Police Department (MPD) headquarters at 201 Poplar and for the department’s South Main precinct.

The MPD wants to move its headquarters from the Shelby County Criminal Justice Complex to the former Donnelly J. Hill State Office Building on Civic Center Plaza. The state vacated the building last year, and its offices are now housed down Main Street at One Commerce Square.

Toby Sells

Donnelly J. Hill State Office Building

Robert Lipscomb, the city’s director of Housing and Community Development (HCD), wants the city to buy the building from the state for $1.5 million. The goal is to relocate MPD headquarters and a few other city offices from spaces leased around the city into the 12-story office building.

“If we’re going to fight crime, we need to show the public that we’re serious about fighting crime,” Lipscomb said. “We want to give the police department a visible presence, and I think this building does that.”

The MPD’s rent at 201 Poplar is $85,000 per month, according to MPD Director Toney Armstrong. All told, rent and other expenses there cost the city about $1.4 million per year. Vacating 201 Poplar would save the MPD about 75 percent of that rent cost.

Some city council members were skeptical of the deal and not in favor of raising the city’s debt in the current budget year.

Lipscomb said HCD would also move into the former state office building as well as the Memphis Housing Authority, human resources, legal, and a few other departments. Lipscomb discussed his plans with the Memphis City Council last week, but the project is not yet ready for a formal council vote, he said.

But Lipscomb said a more pressing matter was the move of the MPD’s South Main precinct from Central Station to the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s North End Terminal at 444 North Main.

The move was precipitated by the planned, $55 million redevelopment of Central Station into a hotel, restaurant, and apartments. The council approved the $1.3 million reallocation of funds in this year’s budget to begin the planning and design phase, which is expected to be completed by September.

The price tag drew fire from councilmember Berlin Boyd. After being told that the move was necessary, Boyd chided administration officials for asking for the emergency funds.

“No offense, but with everything [from the administration], there’s a sense of urgency,” Boyd said. “We can find money to do certain things, but when it comes to helping people, we can’t do that.”

Armstrong explained that the move would allow him to have the entirety of his downtown precinct “under one roof” and that the department didn’t ask to move.

“One of the things we have to understand here is we’ve been asked to relocate; we’ve been asked to vacate the premises,” Armstrong said. “So, it’s more than necessary that we move.”

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Memphis Police Arrest 22 Gang Members in Drug Sting

A Memphis Police undercover investigation netted 22 arrests for street-level heroin and cocaine sales, announced Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong in a press conference Friday afternoon.

Toney Armstrong (left) discusses recent investigations at a Friday afternoon press conference.

The investigation targeted members of the Gangster Disciples gang and ran from January 1st, 2014 to February 28th, 2015. The gang was infiltrated by an undercover Organized Crime Unit officer and a confidential informant. Charges for the 22 arrested range from intent to sell or deliver heroin, cocaine, and meth to possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. 

The sting led to the seizure of $206,891, 203 kilos of cocaine with a street value of $6 million, three kilos of heroin with a street value of $180,000, seven handguns, and 10 vehicles used to transport narcotics. The drugs were transported to Memphis in all sorts of ways, including by Greyhound bus and through the U.S. mail. 

Nineteen of the 22 suspects are Gangster Disciples, and one is an LMG, which stands for LeMoyne-Owen Gang.

“There will not be a gang in this city more powerful than the Memphis Police Department. And there will not be a gang leader more powerful than the Memphis Police director,” said Armstrong, in a warning issued to gang members.

Armstrong also gave a few updates on recent crimes. He said nine people have been arrested for involvement in the mob attack at the BP at Poplar and Cleveland last Thursday. In that incident, Orrden Williams, Jr. was attacked by teens from Northwest Prep Academy, a Shelby County School for students who are overage for their grade, when he tried to escort an older woman who was afraid of the teens to her car.

Armstrong said the suspects range in age from 16 to 19, and many have criminal histories ranging from simple assault to sexual battery.

He also said three people — Carl Johnson (19), Jordan Clayton (21), and Branden Brookins (19) — have been arrested in the drive-by shooting death of 7-year-old Kirsten Williams. Williams was playing outside her home last Friday (April 10th) on Durby Street when the men drove by and fired multiple rounds into the house.  

Memphis Police are still investigating the April 10th murder of 15-year-old Cateria Stokes. A drive-by shooting at her house at 4581 Cottonwood in Parkway Village led to Stokes being shot in the head while she slept in her bed . A 63-year-old man inside the home was also shot. The incident occurred around 2 a.m.

“We are still working on that investigation. We will not rest. We will turn over every rock to bring that investigation to a successful conclusion,” Armstrong said. 

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Memphis United Demands More Accountability for Police Officers

Driving under the influence, aggravated assault, rape, and murder are among the offenses law enforcement are paid to police. Ironically, these very crimes are amid the illegal acts some Memphis officers have been arrested for since last year.

In 2014, 18 officers from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) were arrested. As of April 2nd, there have been four officers apprehended this year for offenses such as sexual exploitation of a minor and driving under the influence.

“We are held to a higher standard because we took an oath to protect and serve, but, by the same token, our officers are treated just like any other citizen who breaks the law,” said MPD spokeswoman Alyssa Macon-Moore. “We’re no different. When we do things that are outside of the perimeters of the law, we must suffer the consequences.”

Memphis United, a coalition of local grassroots organizations and residents against structural and institutional racism, organized the “Bad Apples? FixTheBarrel” rally last Wednesday at the intersection of Lamar and Airways. People waved signs and protested in support of efforts to hold law enforcement more accountable.

The primary approach to help accomplish this goal would be through an amendment of the city’s Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) ordinance. The revision would provide CLERB with the power to subpoena documents and police witnesses, investigate complaints concurrently with the Memphis Police Internal Affairs department, and make disciplinary recommendations to the Memphis Police director, among other authoritative acts. The Memphis City Council’s Personnel Committee will discuss the amendment at its next meeting on April 21st.

Paul Garner led the rally at the intersection of Lamar and Airways. He spoke through a bullhorn at passersby about the importance of police accountability and the need to reinstate CLERB.

“There needs to be a system in place where when people file complaints, it’s tracked and available to the public, and we catch these things before something serious happens,” said Garner, organizing coordinator for the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (MSPJC). “Some of these guys have multiple complaints filed against them, and if there was a civilian oversight body that had the power to gather that information at the time those complaints were filed, red flags would have gone up and something could have been done before we had a case of rape or sexual assault or domestic violence.”

Last Tuesday, a day before the “Bad Apples” rally, a panel was held at Christian Brothers University to inform the public of CLERB’s origin and how its modification would benefit the city. The panelists included members of CLERB and MSPJC.

During the event, an attendee asked if CLERB would have the ability to demand punishment of officers who unlawfully shoot and kill civilians.

Brad Watkins, executive director of the MSPJC, informed the questioner that CLERB would not investigate criminal matters and “is not the answer to our problems.”

For significant progress to be made, Watkins said, in addition to CLERB, there needs to be a confidential counseling program for Memphis Police officers as well as replacement of leadership in the MPD and at City Hall.

“We have to have a complete change in the culture of MPD,” Watkins said. “Not only the culture of MPD and how it relates to its citizens, but the institution of MPD and its relationship to the psychological health of the officers themselves. Without these things, we’ll only have further harassment and violence in our community. The MPD has to be accountable, open to the public, and [responsive] before there’s a murder and a protest — not constantly playing catch-up afterwards with token gestures that don’t change the reality of people’s lives.”

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New Handheld Speed Guns for MPD Proposed to City Council

In the midst of Tennessee legislators’ attempt to ban red-light and speeding cameras, a company wants to provide Memphis Police officers with handheld speed guns to help suppress accidents and fatalities.

Last Tuesday, St. Louis-based firm Automated Transportation Enforcement Solutions (ATES): Traffic Solutions presented a proposal to city council’s Public Safety Committee regarding its LIDAR speed guns.

The devices would allow Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers to use a speed detector boasting a laser, camera, and automated ticketing device. Officers would be able to shoot the license plates of speeding drivers — even in areas with heavily congested traffic — and store their information. This would lower the amount of drivers that officers have to pursue and manually issue a citation.

“I don’t see this as anything other than a public safety enhancement of the MPD,” said John Baine, vice president of marketing for ATES: Traffic Solutions. “It’s not impersonal, like a pole in the ground that says a metal mass is speeding. It gives the officers discretion and opportunity.”

If approved, the LIDAR guns would possibly be targeted for use in areas with high pedestrian activity, such as school zones, construction zones, and parks.

Before moving forward on the proposal, the city council plans on getting feedback from the MPD, specifically, whether they think the devices could help their public safety efforts.

Baine said the city would not be charged for the speed guns. Around 60 percent of proceeds from the speeding tickets would go to the city. The exact amount is uncertain.

The indeterminate split is something that didn’t sit well with Councilman Berlin Boyd.

“[We would be] depending on this company to pay the city a certain dollar amount that’s unknown,” Boyd said. “In business, there are certain things that you should come prepared for. If you’re making a presentation, people want to know cost, if there will be any ultimate gains or benefits, and how much money we will receive from the actual ticket.”

According to City Court Clerk Thomas Long’s office, since November 2009, red-light camera citations have produced more than $10.8 million in revenue. Of that amount, the city of Memphis received 40 percent.

Tennessee is one of several states where legislators have proposed bills to outlaw traffic cameras. A compromise version of the Tennessee Freedom From Traffic Cameras Act passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee last Wednesday. It’s tentatively slated for vote by the full Senate Thursday.

The bill would extend yellow signal times to six seconds at intersections with cameras. Speeding tickets would only be issued for driving 15 miles or more over the posted speed limit.

Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, said red-light cameras cause more safety problems than they reduce.

Harris said he’s not opposed to city law enforcement receiving new handheld speed guns but thinks deploying more officers in the community is a better way to deal with public safety issues.

“If you want to promote more public safety on your street, hire more police officers,” Harris said. “I don’t have any problem with making sure our officers have all the tools available, including cameras, to do their job. The point is, let’s put it in the hands of police officers and not an out-of-state company whose legal duty is to make as much money as possible.”

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Rape Kit Backlog Continues to Decline

The amount of untested rape kits in Memphis continues to decline.

During the Memphis City Council’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meeting Tuesday, it was revealed that 300 additional rape kits have been tested since last month.

Presently, 5,686 rape kits have received analysis or are at the forensic laboratory awaiting analysis. But another 5,846 kits remain untested. An additional 1,142 have been processed for serology (evidence of bodily fluids), but haven’t been sent off to a laboratory for DNA analysis. 

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) discovered 12,374 untested rape kits in late 2013 and early 2014. The sexual assault kits were reportedly taken as far back as 1975. 

The latest rape kit stats are below:

• 12,374 total rape kits discovered untested in 2013/2014

• 5,546 kits untested by end of February 2015

• 2,275 kits at forensic laboratories now

• 1,142 processed for at least serology

• 2,122 negative for serology

• 1,289 processed for DNA

• 375 investigations have been initiated

• 108 investigations remain active

• 267 investigations have been closed

• 36 individuals identified as being previously convicted

• 72 indictments issued

• 35 named suspects (20 multi-case suspects)

• 37 John Does (unidentified)

• 33 victims/suspects are deceased

• 39 victims declined to participate in an investigation

• 6 victims were unable to be located by law enforcement

• 54 cases were past the statute of limitations

• 23 cases had insufficient/degraded DNA

• 3 cases investigated did not meet the statute definitions of a crime

• 2 cases involved consensual partners