The 18-year-old accused of killing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> police officer and injuring two others when they were responding to a suspicious vehicle call early Friday morning was out of jail on felony charges at the time of the incident.
While responding to the call, investigators say Memphis police officer Joseph McKinney was killed by Jaylen Lobley, who was in the vehicle and fired out at the officers. The other officers with McKinney <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/two-memphis-police-officers-shot-rushed-to-hospital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned fire</a> and two were injured by gunfire. One officer was hospitalized in non-critical condition and one received medical attention at the scene of the shooting.
Lobley was also killed during the shootout as police took two other suspects into custody as well, including a 17-year-old who was in critical condition. Lobley had been released from jail without bond by a Shelby County judge after being hit with weapon and theft felony charges last month, <a href="https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/man-mpd-officer-killed-shooting-released-from-jail-by-shelby-county-judge/522-42482bcb-d8b3-4124-a32c-855c48a807f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a report from ABC24. He was facing two counts of motor vehicle theft, unlawful possession of a weapon, and multiple vandalism charges. 
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SAY HIS NAME: Officer Joseph McKinney
He was gunned down in Memphis, TN by a criminal who was arrested just a few weeks earlier for possession of a firearm and was released without bail.
You won’t see this story on the MSM. <a href="https://t.co/tTTwG5FLDc">pic.twitter.com/tTTwG5FLDc</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1778847975537881377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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According to the report, Lobley was arrested on March 5 for car theft and police found him in possession of a handgun with an illegal modifier. The report said he admitted to police that he had stolen two cars. On March 7, a judge allowed him to go free without bond on his own recognizance. ABC24 reported that the judicial commissioner who approved the release was Christopher Ingram.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy <a href="https://www.scdag.com/news-releases/da-mulroy-issues-statement-on-officer-involved-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that his office had “strongly argued against lowering the bond” for Lobley, “citing the defendant&#8217;s danger to the community.”
​​Memphis Police Association President Matt Cunningham ripped into the decision to allow Lobley back on the street.
“The suspect in this shooting was released from jail on his own recognizance — he got right back out on the street and armed himself, and got into a shooting with an officer who died, and he lost his life as well — and that’s tragic, too,” he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/memphis-police-officer-teen-suspect-killed-early-morning-shootout-rcna147560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News. “If he had been kept in jail, he would be alive himself. So that’s the situation here in Shelby County, we have to do something about the revolving door at our jail.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee offered his prayers and support for McKinney’s family on Friday.
“Maria &amp; I are deeply saddened by the death of Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney while serving in the line of duty,” he posted on X. “Our prayers are with Officer McKinney’s family, the recovering officers &amp; the Memphis law enforcement community.”
Memphis, which has one of the <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-city-rankings/cities-with-most-murders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst</a> murder rates in the United States, had nearly 400 homicides in 2023.

Police car – fast moving with bright flashing lights

Man Suspected Of Killing Memphis Cop Was Out Of Jail On Felony Charges

Bail Reform

Crime

Memphis

Police

Tennessee

U.S.

Policewoman at night with flashlight, emergency lights

Police Departments Obliterate Fitness Requirements In Order To Recruit More Women

Matt Walsh

Nashville

Opinion

Police Reform

Readers Pass

Women

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> Democratic state senator called for riots on Friday after the Republican-controlled state Senate passed a bill preventing cities from restricting their police forces from making certain traffic stops.
State Sen. Charlane Oliver, who represents Nashville, said the Republicans’ pro-police legislation is “rooted in racism,” and will force those in her district to “fight like hell.” The bill was sponsored by Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor after Memphis passed an ordinance that banned traffic stops for issues such as expired registrations, a single inoperable headlight or brake light, and loose bumpers, News Channel 3 <a href="https://wreg.com/news/tn-senate-passes-bill-to-undo-memphis-traffic-stop-ordinance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Memphis city council passed the ordinance following the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man, who was fatally injured during a confrontation with five black Memphis police officers on January 7, 2023, after he was pulled over.
“It is a slap in the face and you might as well stomp on the grave of Tyre Nichols,” Oliver said after the state Senate passed Taylor’s bill by a vote of 26-6. “Yes, we are emotionally charged. Why? Because it’s personal for us. Taylor made this personal the minute he introduced this legislation to target one family and one life that was lost.&#8221;
“So yeah, we gonna fight,” Oliver added. “Dr. King said that riots are the language of the unheard. You ain’t seen nothing yet. If you keep silencing us like this, what do you think our district is going to do? We have had it up here. Gloves are off. Like, we gonna fight like hell. You don’t expect us to respond when you gaslight us every single day with these bills?”
“It is rooted in racism,” she continued. “This is a Jim Crow bill that [Sen. Brent] Taylor brought and all his Confederates voted for it.”
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&#39;Gloves Off:&#39; Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlaneOliver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CharlaneOliver</a> (D-Nashville) Calls for Riots after TN Senate Passes <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBrentTaylor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenBrentTaylor</a> Pro-Police Bill. 
&quot;It is rooted in racism,&quot; Oliver said. &quot;This is a Jim Crow bill that [Sen. Brent] Taylor brought and all his Confederates voted for it.&quot; Video <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXNashville?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOXNashville</a> <a href="https://t.co/F7rhyeAwzu">pic.twitter.com/F7rhyeAwzu</a>
&mdash; KWAM News Radio 990 AM Memphis (@Mighty990KWAM) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mighty990KWAM/status/1768661902689804640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The five Memphis police officers who got into the confrontation with Nichols were charged in his death. Footage from a camera mounted on a nearby pole area showed officers kicking and beating Nichols while he was on the ground. Last November, one of the five officers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-memphis-police-officer-becomes-first-to-plead-guilty-to-federal-charges-in-tyre-nichols-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded guilty</a> to excessive force and obstruction of justice in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 15-year prison sentence.
Oliver, who has been in office since 2022, co-founded the <a href="https://theequityalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equity Alliance</a>, a non-profit organization that focuses on &#8220;education, housing and environmental justice, jobs and economic opportunity, criminal justice and public safety, politics and democracy, and healthcare – as well as reparations.&#8221;
Taylor <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBrentTaylor/status/1768727782748475614" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Oliver’s remarks on the legislation, writing, “Despite your overwhelming support for my bill that prohibits local governments from banning legal routine traffic stops, leftist opposition has been insane and totally out of touch with reality and our community’s demands.”
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“I have been hearing from people in Democrat districts who have thanked me for passing this important legislation,” Taylor added. “These community members are tired of crime and bad policies that don’t allow police to do their jobs.”
The bill now heads to Republican Governor Bill Lee’s desk, and he has 10 days to either sign or veto the legislation before it would become law without a signature.

Charlane Oliver

Tennessee Dem Calls For Riots After Republicans Send Pro-Police Bill To Governor’s Desk: ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’

Democrats

General

Republicans

The Satanic Temple plans to launch its first after-school program in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> at an elementary school just outside of Memphis come January, a development that sparked widespread controversy within the community.
Chimneyrock Elementary School in Cordova, part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), will play host to the After School Satan Club. The Satanic Temple announced the club on Tuesday. The organization claimed that it offers a “non-theistic religion” with Satan present as a metaphorical literary figure, and that its after-school clubs don’t attempt to convert children to any religious ideology.
“The Satanic Temple supports children to think for themselves,” read a flyer. “All After School Satan Clubs are based on activities centered around the Seven Fundamental Tenets and emphasize a scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious worldview.”
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After School Satan Club is coming to Tennessee! 
The state&#39;s first ASSC will launch on on January 10th at Chimneyrock Elementary. 
If you&#39;d like to help provide needed supplies for TN&#39;s first ASSC, please visit our Amazon Wish List: <a href="https://t.co/3pSkBZLepx">https://t.co/3pSkBZLepx</a> <a href="https://t.co/cbAEyrfkK7">pic.twitter.com/cbAEyrfkK7</a>
&mdash; The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) <a href="https://twitter.com/satanic_temple_/status/1734619564271448460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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MSCS issued a statement on Tuesday defending the club’s access to the campus as a First Amendment right and deserving equal treatment granted to the Good News Club, a Christian organization, further noting that the IRS recognizes the Satanic Temple as a public nonprofit charity. MSCS directed community members to read about the Satanic Temple in The Washington Post and LA Times.
“[W]e cannot approve or deny a request based solely on the organization’s viewpoints or beliefs,” said MSCS.
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Please see this statement from Memphis-Shelby County Schools regarding the recent approval of a facility rental at Chimneyrock Elementary <a href="https://t.co/WK5rHh2yya">pic.twitter.com/WK5rHh2yya</a>
&mdash; Memphis-Shelby Co. Schools (@MSCSK12) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSCSK12/status/1734681597444751525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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MSCS also addressed the controversy over the Satanic Temple club during a meeting on Wednesday. District leaders told the community that any anger directed at the elementary school leaders and staff was misdirected.
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We just announced that the After School Satan Club is coming to Tennessee at Chimneyrock Elementary School! Today, The Memphis-Shelby County School District&#39;s will be holding a Q&amp;A Session with their Legal and Facilities Team. <a href="https://t.co/Zow68BtDcJ">https://t.co/Zow68BtDcJ</a>
&mdash; The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) <a href="https://twitter.com/satanic_temple_/status/1734937818210897994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One mother pledged to remove her son from the school following the news.
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WTH!!!! This is appalling! My son goes to Chimneyrock and I will be taking him out of this school immediately. Shame on you and this satanic organization! Where’s the after school Jesus club? Disgusting, shameful
&mdash; Herrmann Jennifer (@HerrmannJe17061) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerrmannJe17061/status/1734980456578204071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Activist and father Robby Starbuck said the new club represented further proof of an ongoing spiritual war between good and evil.
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This is a fight of good versus evil so it shouldn’t be a surprise that satanists are joining with the woke to invade public schools in Tennessee. I hope y’all let these people know what you think of them coming here to gain access to kids in our state. Absolutely unacceptable. <a href="https://t.co/sC2ySMYGUp">https://t.co/sC2ySMYGUp</a>
&mdash; Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1734680250955747801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Satanic Temple <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0428/0465/files/ASSC_vs_GNC_chart_05.pdf?v=1646323473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">focuses</a> on the Good News Club as its primary competitor, an organization it describes as “insidious.”
The Satanic Temple <a href="https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it only opens clubs in public schools where other religious groups operate on campus, namely the Good News Club, for the purpose of providing “a safe and inclusive alternative” to those clubs that “use threats of eternal damnation” to convert children.
“The Satanic Temple is not interested in operating After School Satan Clubs in school districts that are not already hosting the Good News Club,” says the Satanic Temple on their website. “However, The Satanic Temple ultimately intends to have After School Satan Clubs operating in every school district where the Good News Club is represented.”
Those districts who reject After School Satan Club open themselves up to lawsuits. The ACLU <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-sues-saucon-valley-school-district-for-prohibiting-after-school-satan-club-from-meeting-in-district-facilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> a Pennsylvania school district earlier this year for rejecting the satanic club, ultimately resulting in a federal court order requiring the district to allow the club and a $200,000 <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/pennsylvania-school-district-agrees-to-pay-200000-after-discriminatory-decision-to-block-after-school-satan-club-from-school-facilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">settlement</a> last month.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Toni Williams, MSCS interim superintendent, said that she doesn’t endorse or support the Satanic Temple, but does support the Constitution, state law, and board policies.
“Let’s not be fooled. What we’ve seen in the past 24 hours is an agenda initiated to ensure that we cancel all faith-based organizations that partner with our school district. Because the law says what you do for one organization, you must do for all,” said Williams.
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I will always champion our students! We must remember our city&#39;s rich tradition of goodwill from our faith-based communities. I challenge officials, charity &amp; business leaders, faith-based orgs., not to push away in fear but rather to push in with support. <a href="https://t.co/RgVPsEoYIn">https://t.co/RgVPsEoYIn</a> <a href="https://t.co/8jYxZtGTIP">pic.twitter.com/8jYxZtGTIP</a>
&mdash; Toni Williams (@SuptCFOToni) <a href="https://twitter.com/SuptCFOToni/status/1735116023299199106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Satanic Temple’s co-sponsor for the after-school clubs, the Reason Alliance, is an offshoot of the nonprofit.
The Satanic Temple lists 45 member congregations, with one located in Tennessee initiated and led by two women: Kayla Sparks and Kayli Ann Miller.
“This is the religion in school that you wanted,” said Sparks. “You probably never even considered the possibility of a satanic organization coming in, did you?”
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ASSC ony goes to schools that have Good News Clubs, or the like. Open the door for one religious club, you open the door to them all. This is the religion in school that you wanted. You probably never even considered the possibility of a satanic organization coming in, did you?
&mdash; Fauna Vee (@FaunaVee) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaunaVee/status/1735042805590843609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Baphomet

First Satanic Temple Kids Club Comes To Memphis Elementary School

Christianity

Education

A former policeman with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> Police Department who was one of the five officers charged in the beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in January pled guilty to two federal charges Thursday.
Desmond Mills Jr., 33, reached a plea deal with federal and state prosecutors, pleading guilty to excessive force and obstruction of justice in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 15-year prison sentence, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-beating-death-officer-plea-54495720ccd302067cda9539678aa0eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Mills’ plea at the Memphis Federal Courthouse was part of an agreement that he would also plead guilty to similar charges at the state court. Mills now faces a sentencing hearing on May 22 in front of a judge.
“This one today was very difficult for me because this was really the first time I actually heard somebody tell and say what they actually did to my son,” Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells said, according to the AP. “So, this was very difficult. But I’m hoping that Mr. Mills, it was his conscience that allowed him to make this plea agreement, and not because of his lawyers telling him it was the right thing to do.”
Nichols was fatally injured during a confrontation with five Memphis police officers on January 7, 2023, after he was pulled over. During the initial traffic stop, Nichols was pepper-sprayed and tased. He then attempted to flee the Memphis police officers, but they caught up with him, and footage from a camera mounted on a nearby pole area showed officers kicking and beating him while he was on the ground.
The plea agreement details that Mills pepper-sprayed Nichols three different times and pulled out his baton while yelling at him, “I’m about to baton the (expletive) out of you,” before hitting him repeatedly while Nichols was on the ground. The plea agreement also says that Nichols was never given the opportunity to comply with the commands given to him.
Mills and the other officers discussed among themselves “taking turns hitting Nichols, hitting Nichols with straight haymakers, and everybody rocking Nichols. During these conversations, the officers discussed hitting Nichols to make him fall and observed that when Nichols did not fall from these blows, they believed they were ‘about to kill’ him,” according to the plea agreement.
The five officers accused of beating Nichols to death were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/us/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-fired.html">fired</a> from the Memphis Police Department later that month before facing federal and state charges. Mills, along with Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin III, and Justin Smith were all charged with using excessive force, failing to intervene, deliberate indifference and conspiring to lie, and obstruction of justice.
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Previously, all five officers pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in a state court. Mills becomes the first officer to plead guilty to any of the charges.

Tyre Nichols

Former Memphis Police Officer Becomes First To Plead Guilty To Federal Charges In Tyre Nichols’ Death

Former Memphis Police Officer Becomes First To Plead Guilty To Federal Charges In Tyre Nichols' Death

Courts

Death

Plea deal

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted five former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> police officers with federal civil rights conspiracy and obstruction charges connected to the murder of Tyre Nichols earlier this year.
&#8220;Tyre Nichols should be alive today,&#8221; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Rights Division said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/five-former-memphis-police-officers-charged-federal-civil-rights-conspiracy-and-obstruction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;It is tragic to see a life cut short at 29, with so many milestones unmet, so many words unsaid, so much potential unfulfilled.&#8221;
Emmitt Martin, Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Justin Smith, and Demetrius Haley — the ex-cops named in the indictment — face four charges each, including excessive force and failure to intervene, deliberate indifference, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice through witness tampering in federal court, according to the Justice Department.
Mike Stengel, a Memphis lawyer representing Haley, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/federal-grand-jury-indicts-five-former-officers-involved-in-tyre-nicholss-death-71fd4ef7?mod=e2li" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Wall Street Journal that his client would plead not guilty.
Blake Ballin, a lawyer for Mills, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/us/politics/tyre-nichols-memphis-officers-federal-indictment.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times in a statement that his client &#8220;maintains his innocence.&#8221;
William Massey, a lawyer for Martin, told the outlet that his client would plead not guilty and attempt to release more footage about what led to the initial stop.
Lawyers for the other defendants have not made public comments.
Nichols, a black 29-year-old FedEx worker, died on January 10, three days after a brutal beating captured on camera showed the former officers kicking, punching, and tasing him that stemmed from an attempted arrest during a traffic stop for suspected reckless driving.
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Nichols was subdued, but then he fled before being recaptured minutes later, and police allegedly kicked and punched him multiple times. Nichols later died at a hospital, and his death was later reported as a homicide due to blunt-force trauma, according to a medical examiner&#8217;s report reviewed by Nichols&#8217; family through their attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/former-memphis-police-officers-charged-death-tyre-nichols-face-federal-indictment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The five officers were fired and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and other charges in a separate case in Tennessee. The defendants pleaded not guilty in February to second-degree murder and additional charges in connection to Nichols&#8217; death.
All five former officers were members of a so-called crime-fighting unit with the Memphis Police Department. Although the officers charged in Nichols&#8217; death were all black, and their special unit was disbanded, activists have taken to blaming &#8220;systemic racism.&#8221;
If convicted on the federal indictment, the former police officers could face up to life in prison for the first two counts and 20 years in prison for counts three and four, according to the Justice Department.
Attorneys for Nichols&#8217; family <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/memphis-police-federal-charges-tyre-nichols-death-rcna104699" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News in a statement that the federal indictment &#8220;gives his family hope as they continue to grieve his loss and inspire change in his honor.&#8221;
The federal indictment comes after the Justice Department announced two months ago that the federal agency would launch a civil rights investigation into the Memphis Police Department after more reports emerged of officers using excessive force.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Rev. Al Sharpton Holds Funeral For Tyre Nichols In Memphis

Five Former Memphis Police Officers Indicted On Federal Charges In Connection To Tyre Nichols Death

Department of Justice

Police Brutality

To deal with vagrancy issues and petty crime, Walgreens stores in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> have installed speakers to loudly play classical music in the parking lot. 
The tactic, which has been used in Chicago and Los Angeles, is intended to deter loitering from homeless people and others, who sometimes harass customers. In Memphis, groups of about 10-15 people were loitering around in one of the Walgreens parking lots before the initiative was started, <a href="https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/walgreens-in-memphis-use-classical-music-for-crowd-control/article_9d93701a-4159-11ee-9225-6bf878a5aa76.html">according</a> to Fox13. 
“At various locations, we have implemented a recorded music loop that plays outside of the store to help deter loitering on the premises. We take steps to ensure the music is only loud enough for the immediate area around the store and cannot be heard by residents in surrounding neighborhoods,” Walgreens <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/memphis-stores-using-classical-music-to-fight-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
The music is being played at several Walgreens locations throughout the crime-plagued city through a mobile camera and speaker system. At one location, the music can be heard from across the street, WREG <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/memphis-stores-using-classical-music-to-fight-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Some city residents have enjoyed the music while others have said that it gets annoying. 
“Everybody else listens to hip-hop, pop, rock and everything else,” Chris Worsham, who listens to the music while at his bus stop, told Fox13. “Classical? Yeah, I don’t think they’ll stick around too long and try to Memphis jerk on that.” 
Another person said that the music was getting annoying. “I thought, ‘Oh there is a band playing and they’re really good.’ Then, the next day, I was like, ‘They’re still playing.’ And later that night, they’re still playing,” said Cameron Cooley, who works nearby, said. “I understand why they are using the music, but it’s the same key all day, the same music. It can be a deterrent and it definitely deters me.”
Memphis has consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in America, and has seen property and violent crime increase in the last year. Its murder rate is in the top ten worst in the U.S. 
The strategy for deterrence using classical music has also been used by Walgreens stores in Chicago and the Los Angeles Metro, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/psychological-torture-chamber-l-a-subway-plays-classical-music-critics-go-bonkers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started playing</a> classical music at a downtown subway station in April.
The Metro’s operations and security team worked with law enforcement to play symphonies, concertos, and piano sonatas by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Vivaldi, in the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro station starting in January.

Walgreen Co. May Sales Increase 12.3 Percent

Memphis Walgreens Stores Using Classical Music To Deter Vagrants, Crime

Classical Music

Homelessness

Police stopped a potentially deadly shooting at a Jewish school in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> on Monday after they shot a gunman they say was attempting to gain entry into the building. 
Police said they shot a suspected gunman after he fired his gun at least one time outside of Margolin Hebrew Academy, an Orthodox Jewish day school. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) <a href="https://tbinewsroom.com/2023/07/31/tbi-special-agents-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-memphis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> reports of multiple gunshots outside the facility. According to Memphis-area congressman Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), the suspect <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/what-we-know-about-the-memphis-jewish-school-shooting-suspect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> Jewish and was previously a student there. 
No classes were in attendance when the suspect allegedly fired the gun outside the school. 
After he could not gain entry, the suspect left, and staffers called the police and provided a description of the person&#8217;s vehicle. He was able to pass through the exterior doors, but could not make it any farther into the school because the interior doors were locked. The suspect also <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/us/memphis-margolin-hebrew-academy-shooting/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> had a confrontation with a contract worker after which he ended up &#8220;retreating&#8221; to his vehicle, according to a letter to parents from the school. 
Law enforcement caught up with the suspect several miles from the school and shot the gunman when he exited the automobile armed with a gun. The suspect was then transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
“Today is a great example of very alert, vigilant officers trying to protect the city,&#8221; Assistant Chief Don Crowe said in comments given to local media. &#8220;I personally truly believe we have avoided a tragedy. I think the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over.” 
 &#8220;When he could not gain entry, he fired shots outside the school,&#8221; Crowe <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gunman-shot-police-firing-memphis-school-rcna97426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. &#8220;Thankfully, that school had a great safety procedure in place, and avoided anyone being harmed or injured at that scene.&#8221;
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In a statement, the school thanked Memphis police for their response to the incident. 
“We are shocked and saddened by the events that took place at MHA-FYOS yesterday, and incredibly grateful to God that thanks to our school’s extensive security measures and the swift response by the Memphis Police Department, everyone is safe.&#8221;
The TBI is heading up the investigation. No motive for the suspect has been revealed.

Memphis Cityscapes And City Views

Memphis Police Shoot Alleged Gunman Who Attempted To Enter Jewish School

Jewish

School Shooting

Steve Cohen

A federal judge has ruled Friday that a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> law intended to shield children from sexually explicit performances is unconstitutional. 
U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker said a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-blocks-tennessee-law-protecting-children-from-viewing-sexually-explicit-performances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law that blocked</a> children from being exposed to “adult cabaret” performances, including sexually explicit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drag-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drag shows</a>, was “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad.”
“There is no question that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. But there is a difference between material that is ‘obscene’ in the vernacular, and material that is ‘obscene’ under the law,” Parker <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-appointed-federal-judge-rejects-tennessees-anti-drag-99811024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “Simply put, no majority of the Supreme Court has held that sexually explicit — but not obscene — speech receives less protection than political, artistic, or scientific speech.”
Parker, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, said that the law would also allow “discriminatory enforcement.”
“Whether some of us may like it or not, the Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment as protecting speech that is indecent but not obscene,” Parker said. 
According to a <a href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0003&amp;ga=113" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a> of the law, which was signed by Governor Bill Lee, it “creates an offense for a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” 
The definition of adult cabaret performance in the law includes “male or female impersonators.” 
The law came before Parker after Friends of George’s, a <a href="https://www.friendsofgeorges.org/season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">self-described </a>“LGBTQ theatre company” based in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> filed a suit challenging the law.
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“I am disappointed with the judge’s decision on Senate Bill 3, which ignored 60 years of Supreme Court precedent allowing regulation of obscene entertainment in the presence of minors. Sadly, this ruling is a victory for those who support exposing children to sexual entertainment,” <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnson/status/1665004030047789056/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), the author of the bill. 
Johnson said he hoped that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti would appeal the decision. 
“Despite the Court’s perplexing reading of the law, I am confident — and have always been — that this legislation does nothing to suppress the First Amendment,” Johnson added, saying that he would continue working to “protect the children of Tennessee.” 
In the last year, footage has emerged from around the country, including in Texas, that has appeared to show children present at sexually explicit drag shows, prompting some lawmakers to introduce legislation. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed similar legislation last month that seeks to shield children from explicit performances.

Key Speakers At Conservative Political Action Conference

Tennessee Law Shielding Kids From Sexually Explicit Performances Ruled ‘Unconstitutional’

Drag Queens

Drag show

Free Speech

Politics

Video resurfaced online of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-gop-expels-democrat-following-state-capitol-storming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expelled Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson</a> back in his college days, pitching a moderate brand of politics absent the fiery rhetoric and dramatic, preacher-like delivery the Memphis lawmaker has employed since his ouster from the statehouse. 
Pearson ran for student body president of Bowdoin College, in Maine, back in 2016 on a platform of bringing the “radical middle” together, a far cry from his recent approach of bringing a “subversive” agenda to the Tennessee General Assembly and leading chants with a bullhorn from the state House floor. 
“How can we represent all voices in a conversation? I want to do this by partnering with organizations from the Bowdoin Democrats to the Bowdoin Republicans. I want to bring together different voices, dissenting voices, voices that may be more liberal or more conservative in order that we can reach a point of sort of the radical middle where conversation and dialogue happens and growth happens,” Pearson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v&amp;v=2019392211619296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a campaign video. 
He added that tensions could only be addressed by people “understanding” each other. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tennessee Representative Justin J. Pearson is a total fraud
Pearson in 2016 vs 2023: <a href="https://t.co/iPLXFFJ6r2">pic.twitter.com/iPLXFFJ6r2</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1645813689717596160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Pearson was expelled last week after disrupting a session of the Tennessee House earlier this month by leading gun control protesters in chants from the House floor with a bullhorn. He was expelled by a vote of 69-26 while fellow Democrat Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) was ousted by a vote of 72-25. 
The former lawmaker likened his expulsion to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, suggesting that he would rise again in a speech leading up to the expulsion vote. On Easter, he preached a sermon at the First Unitarian Church of Memphis.
“We spoke out against the empire of the NRA and the gun lobbyists because we demanded an end to gun violence,” Pearson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChurchOfTheRiver/posts/pfbid02ygTs2kzCYJefagzyBg5S7FVwteTS16zd5XAtXzmcEjBSpJpf6dkKpYdbmBDr3ZQbl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the unitarian universalist congregation. “This has been a Holy Week. This has been a sacred week. The lesson from it is that resurrection is a promised prophecy to a persecuted people.”
Pearson and Jones have both seized the media attention and portrayed themselves as modern-day civil rights activists. During his initial swearing-in, Pearson <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfis32235dwy90k/Swearing-%20In%20of%20Representative%20Justin%20Pearson.mp4?dl=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said that</a> he hoped to pursue an agenda that was “subversive to the status quo,” adding that “white supremacy,” “homophobia,” “misogyny,&#8221; and &#8220;racism&#8221; all needed to be torn down. 
Critics online noticed the stark difference in tone from Pearson, who has pushed for increased gun control in the wake of a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville. 
“Amazing how Justin Pearson learned that crazy fake southern preacher accent just a few years after his Brooks Brothers prep school days at Bowdoin: he&#8217;s like the Hilaria Baldwin of Al Sharpton clones,” one Twitter user said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Amazing how Justin Pearson learned that crazy fake southern preacher accent just a few years after his Brooks Brothers prep school days at Bowdoin: he&#39;s like the Hilaria Baldwin of Al Sharpton clones:<a href="https://t.co/1Gy4EFDQNs">https://t.co/1Gy4EFDQNs</a> <a href="https://t.co/v3lsuiBgTP">https://t.co/v3lsuiBgTP</a>
&mdash; Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeenanPeachy/status/1645652752889151493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Pearson could be reappointed to the seat as soon as Wednesday night after a vote from the Shelby County Commissioners.

Three Tennessee Lawmakers Face Expulsion After Joining Gun Protest

‘Fake Southern Preacher’: Videos Show Expelled Tennessee Lawmaker’s Oratorical Transformation

Videos Show Expelled Tennessee Lawmaker's Oratorical Transformation

Former <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> Democratic State Rep. Justin Pearson preached a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sermon</a> on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/easter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Easter</a> Sunday centered on his recent ouster from the Tennessee House.
Pearson was one of two Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-gop-expels-democrat-following-state-capitol-storming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expelled</a> by the Republican majority for encouraging protests on the House floor, during which the lawmakers led hundreds of protesters in chants about gun control with a bullhorn and thereby disrupted legislative proceedings. Pearson, whose former constituency represented parts of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a>, has since been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/expelled-tennessee-democrat-says-his-constituents-are-now-disenfranchised" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured</a> on several legacy media outlets and gained accolades from prominent Democrats.
Pearson was invited to deliver a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChurchOfTheRiver/videos/2187638454768336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sermon</a> at First Unitarian Church of Memphis on Easter Sunday; the message repeatedly likened his removal from the Tennessee House to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“We spoke out against the empire of the NRA and the gun lobbyists because we demanded an end to gun violence,” Pearson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChurchOfTheRiver/posts/pfbid02ygTs2kzCYJefagzyBg5S7FVwteTS16zd5XAtXzmcEjBSpJpf6dkKpYdbmBDr3ZQbl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the unitarian universalist congregation. “This has been a Holy Week. This has been a sacred week. The lesson from it is that resurrection is a promised prophecy to a persecuted people.”
Pearson addressed “Mother God” in his prayer at the beginning of the sermon and <a href="https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1645404835288690688" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> that he be connected to “the raw materials of stardust to speak in this moment.” He called on his “ancestor preachers who made sermons from hymns, moans, and groans,” as well as his various great-grandparents and grandparents, to “speak now through this your descendant.”
Pearson’s sermon frequently called for the passage of gun control legislation and contained nods to several left-wing social policies, including an apparent <a href="https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1645412779711496194" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reference</a> to sex change operations for minors. “If we just get this persecution over with, then we won’t have to worry about folks talking about love and justice,” he said. “They won’t have to worry about folks talking about advocating for people to get access to healthcare who are transgender children.”
The remark comes shortly after Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee endorsed a bill that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-gov-signs-bills-protecting-children-from-sex-change-procedures-drag-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibits</a> sex change procedures, such as mastectomies for girls who believe they are boys, as well as hormones and puberty blockers to transition a child to the opposite sex. Another bill signed by Lee prohibits sexually explicit drag shows in public or near children.
Pearson also asserted that Mark 16 and Romans 8, which contain promises to the church regarding the successful advance of the gospel, apply to the <a href="https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1645435382232670209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notion</a> that his hearers can “pick up the snakes” of “homophobia,” “transphobia,” and “gun violence.”
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Jason Pearson, a minister at Community of Faith Christian Church in Memphis and the father of Justin Pearson, likewise <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChurchOfTheRiver/videos/1217290315574847" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> from the pulpit at First Unitarian Church to liken his son’s expulsion from the Tennessee House to the crucifixion. “When your child is standing at Calvary, when somebody is crucifying your baby, it’s hard to be silent,” he said.
Political tensions in Tennessee have been palpable as the state reels from the murder of three adults and three children at The Covenant School in Nashville. A 28-year-old woman who identified as a man killed three 9-year-old children and three adult staffers at the school, a ministry of the conservative evangelical Covenant Presbyterian Church. Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-christian-school-shooter-identified-as-transgender-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the shooter, whom The Daily Wire will not name in accordance with company policy, executed a “targeted attack” on the school and wrote a “manifesto.”

Rep. Justin J. Pearson

Expelled Tennessee Dem Preaches Easter Sunday Sermon, Calls On ‘Mother God’ And Invokes His Ancestors

Expelled Tennessee Dem Preaches Easter Sunday Sermon

Easter

A federal judge in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> blocked a law on Friday that was intended to protect children from being exposed to &#8220;adult cabaret&#8221; performances, including sexually explicit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drag-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drag shows</a>. 
The law was temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker, who issued a temporary injunction against the law and said it was too vague and could be a violation of the First Amendment. 
“Does a citizen’s private residence count? How about a camping ground at a national park?” Parker <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/01/federal-judge-temporarily-blocks-tennessees-anti-drag-law-00090047" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his decision. “Ultimately, the Statute’s broad language clashes with the First Amendment’s tight constraints.”
According to a <a href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0003&amp;ga=113" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a> of the law, it “creates an offense for a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” 
The definition of adult cabaret performance in the law includes “male or female impersonators.” 
“I think we would all agree that some of the video we have seen recently of some of these drag shows that were quote-unquote family-friendly were anything but that. And If I had attended one of those with my kids I would have been mortified and I would have wanted someone to be prosecuted for engaging in that kind of entertainment in front of my kids,” Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayer-funded-tennessee-performing-arts-center-hosted-all-ages-drag-christmas-show-as-republicans-propose-banning-similar-events" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Daily Wire</a> shortly after announcing he would be introducing a law to protect children from “sexually explicit” performances last year. 
The law came before Parker after Friends of George’s, a <a href="https://www.friendsofgeorges.org/season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">self-described</a> “LGBTQ theatre company” based in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> filed a suit challenging the law. Several upcoming shows by the company include “Drag Rocks” and “The Dragnificent Variety Show: The Gay Ole Opry.”
“The law prohibits a drag performer wearing a crop top and mini skirt from dancing where minors might see it, but does not prohibit a Tennessee Titans cheerleader wearing an identical outfit from performing the exact same dance in front of children,” the group claimed in a complaint. 
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Democrat Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told The Associated Press that he does not mind that an injunction was placed on the law. 
“There has been much concern and confusion about the law from the community,” he said. “This will allow the court to clarify the scope, application, and constitutionality of the statute. It’s important to understand the scope of this law so that it doesn’t have a harmful effect on constitutionally protected expression.”
In the last year, footage has emerged from around the country, including in Texas, that has appeared to show children present at sexually explicit drag shows, prompting some lawmakers to introduce legislation.

Judge Blocks Tennessee Law Protecting Children From Viewing Sexually Explicit Performances

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