The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has called for the immediate suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a Trump-era anti-crime alliance of federal, state, and local law enforcement, following the deaths of two Black men in Tennessee.
Deaths Prompt Federal Investigation Demand
In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday, the NAACP demanded a "thorough, transparent federal investigation" into the task force's actions. The group alleges that the task force has surged federal and military officers into Memphis with insufficient training for civilian policing.
The deaths include Tyrin Johnson, a 20-year-old new father shot by two Tennessee National Guard troops on Sunday, and Darius Chappell, a 34-year-old father of three found dead in a Montgomery County jail cell two days earlier. Chappell was taken into custody on June 29 after a "use of force" incident in Clarksville, with video showing a police dog biting him while he was held on the ground.
Lack of Transparency and Accountability
Authorities have released few details. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) claimed Johnson possessed a handgun and fired shots. The Clarksville Police Department said it is investigating the dog deployment and placed an officer on administrative leave.
The task force, established by a Trump executive order last year to combat crime in Democratic-run cities, has been linked to at least four deaths in 2025. The NAACP criticized the TBI investigation as "not enough," citing conflicting reports from various agencies.
"The federal government has unique expertise in investigating law enforcement misconduct," the letter stated. Regarding Chappell, it noted no charges have been filed and no official cause of death released. "The public deserves facts about the force used and medical care offered."
DOJ Accused of Abdicating Responsibility
Addressing Blanche directly, the letter accused the Justice Department of fully retreating from investigating such matters and abdicating its responsibility to prosecute civil rights violations.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the group seeks "transparency to affected communities and full accountability and justice." He added, "The Department of Justice cannot continue to stand by while Black lives are taken."
A survey of Memphis residents by the NAACP found 63% strongly disapproved of the National Guard deployment, and 54% believed it significantly undermined safety and trust.
