NAACP Requests Suspension of Memphis Safe Task Force Following Two Deaths

The NAACP on Friday demanded suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force and a thorough federal investigation into its operations after two Black men died in Tennessee custody within recent days. Tyrin Johnson, 20, was shot and killed by two Tennessee national guard troops early on July 5.

Darius Chappell, 34, was found dead in a cell at the Montgomery County jail on July 3 after his arrest on June 29 in Clarksville.

Video of Chappell’s arrest showed a police canine appearing to bite him while officers held him on the ground. The task force, established by executive order last year, combines federal, state and local officers to address crime in Memphis. It has been linked to at least four deaths this year.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Johnson possessed a handgun and fired shots. The Clarksville police department opened an investigation into the K9 deployment during Chappell’s arrest and placed one officer on administrative leave. In its letter to acting attorney general Todd Blanche, the NAACP said the task force had deployed federal and military officers with insufficient training for civilian policing.

It noted conflicting reports on Johnson’s death and said no officers had been charged and no official cause of death issued in Chappell’s case. The group stated the Department of Justice had abdicated responsibility to prosecute civil rights violations. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said the organization seeks transparency, accountability and justice.

An NAACP survey of Memphis residents found 63 percent strongly disapproved of the national guard deployment and 54 percent believed it had undermined safety and trust.