The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has called for the suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force, an anti-crime alliance initiated under former President Donald Trump, following the recent deaths of two Black men in Tennessee.

The deaths include Tyrin Johnson, a 20-year-old new father who was shot by two Tennessee National Guard troops during an early morning incident, and Darius Chappell, a 34-year-old father of three, whose body was found in a Montgomery County jail cell two days earlier. Chappell was taken into custody on June 29 after what police described as a “use of force” incident in Clarksville. Video circulating on social media showed a police dog biting Chappell while he was restrained on the ground by officers.

In response, the Clarksville police department has launched an investigation into the use of the dog during Chappell’s arrest and placed an officer on administrative leave. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation stated that Johnson was in possession of a handgun and had fired shots.

In a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the NAACP demanded a “thorough, transparent federal investigation” into the task force’s actions, criticizing the surge of federal and military officers into Memphis without adequate training for civilian policing. The group highlighted that the federal government has unique expertise in investigating law enforcement misconduct, particularly given the involvement of federal officials in Johnson’s case.

The NAACP also cited a survey of Memphis residents revealing that 63% strongly disapproved of the National Guard’s deployment, and 54% believed it had significantly undermined residents’ safety and trust.

Sources