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

Memphis

Plea deal

Police

U.S.

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

Crime

Department of Justice

Police Brutality

Police Reform

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

Tennessee

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

General

Nashville

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

Christianity

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

LGBTQ

Social Issues

Memphis Tigers&#8217; player Jamirah Shutes has been charged with assault after appearing to punch a Bowling Green State University player in the face following their game on Thursday during the Women&#8217;s National Invitation Tournament in Ohio.
On Friday, BGSU released a <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Burwell/status/1639299634441994250?s=20">statement</a> that read, &#8220;Following Thursday&#8217;s unwarranted physical incident after the WNIT home game, the Bowling Green State University Police Department has charged a member of the Memphis Women&#8217;s Basketball team with assault.&#8221;
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BGSU releases updated statement regarding postgame incident with Memphis:
&quot;Following Thursday&#39;s unwarranted physical incident after the WNIT home game, the Bowling Green State University Police Department has charged a member of the Memphis Women&#39;s Basketball team with assault.&quot;
&mdash; Michael Burwell (@Michael_Burwell) <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Burwell/status/1639299634441994250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Additionally, BGSU Athletics is conducting its own review,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;Violence is never acceptable and our priority remains the health, safety and support of our student-athlete, who is recovering and doing well.&#8221;
&#8220;This is an active investigation in conjunction with the City of Bowling Green Prosecutor, and no further comment is available at this time,&#8221; the statement concluded.
After BGSU beat Memphis 73-60 in the third round of the tournament, the players were walking through the postgame handshake line when Falcons player Elissa Brett reportedly exchanged words with Shutes, <a href="https://www.outkick.com/bgsu-womens-basketball-player-gets-sucker-punched-by-angry-memphis-player-police-investigating-strike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Outkick</a> reported.
Shutes is then is seen in the clip below reaching out and appearing to punch Brett in the face. Brett falls to the ground as one of Shutes&#8217; teammates pulls the Tigers player away from the area and Brett’s teammates surround her, calling for help.
WATCH:
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BGSU women’s basketball moving on to the final 8 of the WNIT after beating Memphis — but this will steal the headlines unfortunately. 
Ugly, ugly scene in the handshake line. A Memphis player punched Elissa Brett. Just brutal. <a href="https://t.co/2hptXYBEtj">pic.twitter.com/2hptXYBEtj</a>
&mdash; Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanStrack/status/1639065193836576769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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After Brett was hit, the crowd began to boo and coaches pointed in the direction of Shutes.
Bowling Green coach Robyn Fralich later said the school was in the process of &#8220;figuring all those things out,&#8221; as to what went down in the handshake line after the match, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/24/womens-nit-game-ends-with-memphis-jamirah-shutes-punching-bgsus-elissa-brett/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> noted.
BGSU released a statement posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/troy_gingerich/status/1639093602553831425?s=20">Twitter</a> that there was a police investigation into the incident.
&#8220;The incident that took place following tonight&#8217;s home WNIT game has been turned over to the BGSU Police Department,&#8221; Bowling Green&#8217;s statement read.
&#8220;Bowling Green State University Athletics does not make comments about active police investigations,&#8221; it added. &#8220;Our priority is with the health, safety and support of our student-athletes.&#8221;
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BGSU has released a statement regarding Elissa Brett being hit by a Memphis player in the handshake line after the game: <a href="https://t.co/v0zKZuhF0J">pic.twitter.com/v0zKZuhF0J</a>
&mdash; Troy Gingerich (@troy_gingerich) <a href="https://twitter.com/troy_gingerich/status/1639093602553831425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Memphis later tweeted a post showing the final score and subsequently turned off the ability for social media users to comment.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that Shutes reportedly took an elbow to the face within the final seconds of the opening quarter of the game, <a href="https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35929016/punch-memphis-bowling-green-game-referred-campus-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a> noted. She returned to start the second half.
Bowling Green will now move on to the next round of the tournament and face the Florida Gators at Stroh Center in Bowling Green on Monday March 27.

Bowling Green-2

Female College Hoops Player Charged With Assault After Punching Opponent

Basketball

College

Ohio

Women's Basketball

A man identified as a black Army veteran is suing the five former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a>, Tennessee, police officers charged with murdering Tyre Nichols.
Lawyers for Monterrious Harris, 22, filed a lawsuit in Tennessee federal court seeking $5 million in damages over the alleged violent encounter that took place three days before Nichols was beaten.
Harris claims he was in a car waiting on his cousin at an apartment complex in Memphis on January 4 when masked and armed members of the now-disbanded Scorpion Unit &#8220;suddenly swarmed&#8221; him without immediately identifying themselves and demanded he get out or &#8220;be shot.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Memphian says he was beaten by Memphis Police&#039;s SCORPION Unit 3 days before Tyre Nichols died" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ns6mCwvd6R0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Thinking he was being robbed, Harris backed his car up until it hit some sort of object, and he then stepped out of the vehicle with his hands up, the lawsuit says. That&#8217;s when Harris alleges officers punched, stomped, and dragged him across the concrete until witnesses came outside in response to his shouts for help.
After receiving treatment at a hospital, Harris was held in jail for several days until his family could post bond, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/ex-memphis-cops-charged-tyre-nichols-death-swarmed-black-army-vet-beat-days-earlier-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
Harris claims in his lawsuit that he is facing &#8220;false&#8221; charges, including evading arrest. He was also slapped with various drug and weapons violations. Harris&#8217; cousin left a licensed and registered gun in the car without Harris knowing, the lawsuit says.
&#8220;Mr. Harris had great difficulty walking because his left leg was gashed from the assault,&#8221; the lawsuit says. &#8220;But for witnesses coming outside to observe after hearing Mr. Harris&#8217; loud screams, Mr. Harris would likely have suffered the same fate as Mr. Nichols.&#8221;
Defendants in the lawsuit include Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. — who are the same five black officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of Nichols, a black 29-year-old FedEx worker. These officers, who were fired from the Memphis police force, do not yet have attorneys listed, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-same-5-officers-who-beat-tyre-nichols-attacked-a-memphis-army-vet-3-days-earlier-according-to-his-lawsuit/ar-AA17iPZ6?li=BBnbcA1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Insider</a>.
The Shelby County District Attorney&#8217;s Office <a href="https://www.scdag.com/news-releases/statement-from-shelby-county-district-attorneys-office-regarding-ongoing-investigation-in-tyre-nichols-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously said</a> it was looking into all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Nichols. Memphis police announced late last month that it permanently <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/memphis-scorpion-unit-permanently-disbanded/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disbanded the specialized street crime Scorpion unit</a>.
Harris&#8217; mother called Spence Partners Law while Harris was in jail, and the firm&#8217;s lawyers were the ones who found out the officers mentioned in the police report for Harris were the same ones charged in Nichols&#8217; death, according to an <a href="https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/memphian-beaten-memphis-police-scorpion-unit-tyre-nichols-died/522-b79f816c-4758-40e1-a2f5-38f130ed82a9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 24 Memphis report</a>.
“We filed a lawsuit because we believe we can prove that there’s a policy and custom in MPD in which they violate the rights of young Black men like Monterrious,” said Jarrett Spence of the law firm.
The City of Memphis and four John Does were also listed as defendants in Harris&#8217; lawsuit.

Justice for Tyre Nichols protest

Ex-Cops Charged With Murdering Tyre Nichols Now Accused Of Beating Black Army Veteran

News

The parents of Tyre Nichols, a man allegedly killed by police in Memphis Tennessee, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-deliver-state-of-the-union-address-with-new-speaker-looking-over-his-shoulder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to be in attendance</a> at President Joe Biden&#8217;s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
The White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/07/the-white-house-announces-guest-list-for-the-first-ladys-box-for-the-2023-state-of-the-union-address/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a list of guests</a> who will be sitting with the president&#8217;s wife, first lady Jill Biden. Among them is RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Nichols.
Nichols, a black 29-year-old FedEx worker, died last month after a brutal beating captured on camera. The ordeal stemmed from an attempted arrest during a traffic stop for suspected reckless driving.
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. Five black officers were fired and subsequently charged with second-degree murder.
Although the officers charged in Nichols&#8217; death were all black and their special unit was disbanded, activists have taken to blaming &#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/tyre-nichols-bodycam-systemic-racism-non-white-people-black-activists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">systematic racism</a>.&#8221; There have been fresh calls for policing reforms.
&#8220;President Biden has made clear that we must take action to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again,&#8221; the White House said in a statement. &#8220;In addition to signing an executive order last year, the President continues to call on Congress to send the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to his desk.&#8221;
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at Nichols&#8217; funeral earlier this month. “This violent act was not in pursuit of public safety. It was not in the interest of keeping the public safe, because one must ask, was not it in the interest of keeping the public safe that Tyre Nichols would be with us today?” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-calls-on-congress-to-pass-policing-reform-at-tyre-nichols-funeral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harris said</a>. “Was he not also entitled to the right to be safe?”
Other State of the Union guests announced by the White House include Ukraine Ambassador Oksana Markarova and Holocaust survivor Ruth Cohen.
Also in attendance will be Paul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of Nancy Pelosi, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-footage-of-attack-on-paul-pelosi-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survived a break-in attack</a> at their San Francisco home in late October, as well as Brandon Tsay, the man caught on camera <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/monterey-park-biden-call-brandon-tsay/12738880/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disarming the suspected gunman</a> in the deadly Monterey Park, California, shooting.

RowVaughn Wells and her husband Rodney Wells

Tyre Nichols’ Parents To Attend Biden’s State Of The Union Address

Joe Biden

State of the Union

Two more Memphis Police Department officers have been relieved of duty following the death of Tyre Nichols earlier this month.
Nichols died on January 10, three days after Memphis police pulled him over in a traffic stop. Nichols and the five former police officers charged in his killing are black. Authorities stopped Nichols on January 7 for “reckless driving” near Raines Road and Ross Road in Memphis.
Police said that during the stop a “confrontation occurred,” at which point Nichols ran away from police on foot as they attempted to apprehend him.
Surveillance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/body-cam-footage-released-showing-incident-between-police-and-tyre-nichols" target="_blank" rel="noopener">footage</a> of the incident allegedly showed the five police officers beating Nichols after they had caught up to him and placed him in handcuffs.
With the two latest Memphis police officers being relieved of their duties, the number of officers disciplined now stands at seven.
Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith have all been charged with two counts of official misconduct, local media reported, with one count of official oppression, second-degree murder, aggravated assault-act in concert, and two counts of aggravated kidnapping.
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-officer-suspended-179a49b0e8b1c6494af2e6408581d47f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Memphis Fire Department officials announced on Monday that they had fired three emergency medical technicians that responded to the scene.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into two of its deputies after the body camera footage was released on Friday evening.
“Having watched the videotape for the first time tonight, I have concerns about two deputies who appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/tennessee-sheriff-opens-new-investigation-two-deputies-tyre-nichols-bodycam-video-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I have launched an internal investigation into the conduct of these deputies to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated. Both of these deputies have been relieved of duty pending the outcome of this administrative investigation.”
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Monday all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Nichols could face additional charges.
“This includes the officer present at the initial encounter who has not — so far — been charged, Memphis Fire Department personnel, and persons who participated in preparing documentation of the incident afterward,” the district attorney’s office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shelby-county-d-a-says-all-individuals-involved-in-tyre-nichols-confrontation-could-face-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Brandon Drey contributed to this report.

Paramedics carrying patient in ambulance at night

More Police Officers Relieved Of Duty Over Death Of Tyre Nichols, EMTs Fired

Law Enforcement

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