Trump’s Memphis crime taskforce accused of using ‘immense force’ in intimidation campaign

Key Points:

• The ACLU of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit accusing the Memphis anti-crime taskforce, launched under Donald Trump and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, of intimidating and retaliating against community observers through tactics such as surveillance, false arrests, and excessive force.
• Six plaintiffs detailed incidents including agents tailing cars, conducting pretextual traffic stops, and using the Halo law to push observers beyond arbitrary 25-foot boundaries, resulting in harassment and unconstitutional retaliation.
• Specific cases include Hunter Demster alleging aggressive vehicle behavior near his home and Jessica Chodor’s arrest after filming taskforce officers, during which she was tackled and detained for 27 hours without charges.
• Despite these allegations, officials have highlighted the taskforce’s reported success in reducing violent crime in Memphis by over 40%, with thousands of arrests and illegal guns seized since its inception.
• Critics note that violent crime had been declining in Memphis and other US cities prior to the taskforce’s formation, suggesting broader demographic and societal trends at play beyond the taskforce’s efforts.