Citizen oversight of
police in Memphis reached a milestone tonight as CLERB said citizens who were improperly
arrested in highly visible cases were mistreated by police a second time when
MPD internal affairs denied their
complaints that police had abused them.
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| CLERB chairman Ralph White, administrator Virginia Wilson, Paul Garner |
The Civilian Law
Enforcement Review Board voted unanimously that Memphis Department of Police
Services Inspectional Services Bureau --- aka police internal affairs – erred
in rejecting the complaints of activist Paul Garner and Frayser resident Reginald
Johnson.
Garner’s arrest and arrests
days later at a Trolley Night hip-hop event led to a movement to bring back the
Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board, which had been secretly disbanded by
Mayor A.C. Wharton’s administration in 2011.
Garner, an organizing coordinator at Mid-South Peace and Justice Center,
and John Holle were arrested for filming police in front of Manna House
homeless refuge Oct. 21, 2013, although officers charged Garner with disorderly conduct and “obstructing
a passageway.” Holle, a Manna House
volunteer, had just opened up for the evening meal when officers showed up
looking for a man. Holle told officers
they could not enter the property without a warrant, which did not prevent
police from searching the place but which apparently angered the officers. Police confiscated Holle’s and Garner’s
phones and at one point told them it was illegal to record video in Memphis
without a film permit.
Garner and Holle spent
about 17 hours in jail and in police custody before the media found out and charges were
dropped.
Helping the citizen
oversight board make a decision was a video taken by Holle which showed a
Memphis officer saying, “I understand you’re videoing, and it’s on video, so we’re going to take you to jail for obstructing highway passageway.”
