MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The United States Department of Justice has closed its “Biden-era” investigation into the Memphis Police Department and retracted its findings of constitutional violations.
On Tuesday, the DOJ announced that it would close investigations into multiple police departments across the country and drop all Biden administration findings as a result of the investigations.
Memphis, Tennessee, was on that list of police departments.
The pattern and practice investigation into the MPD and the City of Memphis was opened in July 2023 following the beating death of Tyre Nichols earlier that year. The investigation came after allegations by citizens of excessive police force, force against people who are already restrained, and traffic enforcement that they believed may be targeting Black drivers for minor citations.
In December 2024, the 17-month DOJ investigation wrapped up. The findings were then presented, showing that the MPD engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
The DOJ stated following the investigation that they found MPD uses excessive force, conducts unlawful stops, searches and arrests, and unlawfully discriminates against Black people when enforcing the law. The DOJ said the City and MPD also unlawfully discriminate in their response to people with behavioral health disabilities.
Those findings have now been retracted, according to the justice department.
“The Department of Justice will continue to offer its full support to police departments across the country, including through grants and technical assistance. The Department is confident that the vast majority of police officers across the Nation will continue to vigorously enforce the law and protect the public in full compliance with the Constitution and all applicable federal laws. When bad actors in uniform fail to do so, the Department stands ready to take all necessary action to address any resulting constitutional or civil-rights violations, including via criminal prosecution,” said the DOJ in a press release.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the family of Tyre Nichols in a case involving alleged police brutality resulting in Nichols’ death, decried the decision in a statement.
“This decision is a slap in the face to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tyre Nichols, and to every community that has endured the trauma of police violence and the false promises of accountability. These consent decrees and investigations were not symbolic gestures, they were lifelines for communities crying out for change, rooted in years of organizing, suffering, and advocacy.
“These moves will only deepen the divide between law enforcement and the people they are sworn to protect and serve. Trust is built with transparency and accountability, not with denial and retreat.“
Ben Crump
