9 deputies charged in death of man beaten in Memphis jail, including 2 for second-degree murder
This combo image provided by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office shows from top left, Ebonee Davis, Chelsey Duckett, Courtney Parham, Jeffrey Gibson, from bottom left, Stevon Jones, Anthony Howell, Lareko Donwel Elliot, and Damian Cooper. The deputies are charged with aggravated assault in death of a man beaten in Memphis jail, including 2 charged for second-degree murder, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -
Two Memphis jail deputies have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Black man who was having a psychotic episode and died in custody last fall after jailers punched, kicked and kneeled on his back during a confrontation, according to court documents released Thursday.
The indictments show that Stevon Jones and Courtney Parham have also been charged with aggravated assault while acting in concert with others in the death of 33-year-old Gershun Freeman. Jones faces an additional count of assault.
Meanwhile, seven other deputies have been charged with aggravated assault resulting in the death of another. Those officers include: Jeffrey Gibson, Anthony Howell, Damian Cooper, Ebonee Davis, Lareko Donwel Elliot and Chelsey Duckett. One officer's name was redacted.
The grand jury made the indictments Tuesday and warrants were issued Wednesday.
All of the deputies have been placed on administrative leave. Online records do not show if the eight deputies named in the indictment have lawyers.
A hearing for the deputies will take place Oct. 27.
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner first disclosed the existence of the indictments Wednesday evening, but refused to give any more information at the time. Instead, he accused the investigation of being political and vowed to help raise money for the deputies' legal fees.
Bonner is running for mayor of Memphis. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy threw his support behind a different candidate, Van Turner, before Freeman's death and before Bonner announced his candidacy.
Mulroy has recused himself from Freeman's case and Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk has since been tapped to oversee the investigation.
"I did everything I could to take politics out of it and I hope the public doesn't buy the narrative that there was anything untoward about that," Mulroy told reporters Thursday.
Earlier this year, Funk released video of Freeman at the Shelby County Jail.
The video shows Freeman was beaten by at least 10 corrections officers Oct. 5 after he ran naked from his cell.
According to the video, officers wrestle Freeman to the ground and begin to punch, kick and pepper-spray him. They are joined by additional officers. The deputies move with Freeman out of the hallway. From another camera's view, Freeman is seen wrapping himself around an officer's legs in a different hallway.
The video shifts to a bank of escalators and Freeman, still naked, runs up one of them. In another hallway, a struggle continues with officers attempting to restrain him before getting him face-down on the ground. They can be seen stepping and kneeling on his back before he becomes still. One officer remained on Freeman's back for several minutes before he was lifted.
He appears limp when officers do lift him up, with his head falling forward between his knees and his hands cuffed behind his back. He remains in that position until medical employees arrive, and the video ends.
Freeman had "psychosis and cardiovascular disease and died of a heart attack while being restrained," Bonner said in a March statement, citing a medical examiner's report.
Freeman's manner of death is listed as a homicide in the autopsy report from the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center, although the report says that this "is not meant to definitively indicate criminal intent."
Brice Timmons, a lawyer for Freeman's family, said Wednesday that Bonner is to blame for Freeman's death.
------
Kruesi reported from Nashville, Tennessee.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING
BREAKING Claims of toxic workplace at CSIS absolutely 'devastating': PM says
Allegations of a toxic workplace culture, involving harassment and sexual assault at Canada's spy agency are 'devastating' and 'absolutely unacceptable,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.
Alberta set for $5.5B budget surplus, despite big bucks for fires, floods and drought
Alberta’s budget surplus is growing but will be offset by more than $1 billion this year to pay for floods, forest fires and drought.
Here's when Canada Post says you should send out your holiday packages
Canada Post had released a holiday guide on when Canadians should mail out their packages.
TREND LINE
TREND LINE Liberals and NDP tied in ballot support, Conservatives 19 points ahead: Nanos
The governing minority Liberals' decline in the polls has now placed them in a tie for support with their confidence-and-supply partners the NDP, while the Conservatives are now 19 points ahead, according Nanos' latest ballot tracking.
2023 Atlantic hurricane season ends; finishes 4th for most-named storms
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end on Thursday as the fourth
More Israeli hostages freed by Hamas as truce in Gaza lasts another day
Hamas began freeing Israeli hostages Thursday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of a last-minute deal to extend their ceasefire in Gaza by another day. But any further renewal of the truce, now in its seventh day, could prove more daunting since Hamas is expected to set a higher price for many of the remaining hostages.
What to know about the Sikh independence movement following U.S. accusation that activist was targeted
The U.S. has charged an Indian national in what prosecutors allege was a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist at the behest of an unnamed Indian government official.
Alternative healer faces manslaughter charge over woman's death at a U.K. slapping therapy workshop
An alternative healer who advocates a technique known as 'slapping therapy' was charged Thursday over the death of a woman at one of his workshops in England seven years ago.
Chinstrap penguins nod off more than 10,000 times per day in seconds-long 'microsleeps,' study finds
A new study has documented the peculiar sleeping habits of this species of penguin. Instead of taking one long continuous period of sleep, chinstrap penguins prefer to sleep in seconds-long intervals, more than 10,000 times a day.
Canada
-
Alberta set for $5.5B budget surplus, despite big bucks for fires, floods and drought
Alberta’s budget surplus is growing but will be offset by more than $1 billion this year to pay for floods, forest fires and drought.
-
Sask. premier says province will stop collecting carbon levy on electric heat
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the province intends to stop collecting the carbon levy on electric heat.
-
Canadian economy shrank in Q3 but manages to 'keep its head above recession waters'
The Canadian economy shrank in the third quarter as higher rates weighed on consumer and business spending, but has so far managed to skirt a recession after a significant upward revision to second quarter GDP figures.
-
2023 Atlantic hurricane season ends; finishes 4th for most-named storms
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end on Thursday as the fourth
-
A holiday meal in Canada will be an 'expensive proposition': food lab
Celebrating with your family this December could come with increased expenses as data shows many traditional holiday foods are going up in price.
-
Here's when Canada Post says you should send out your holiday packages
Canada Post had released a holiday guide on when Canadians should mail out their packages.
World
-
Allegations against India official linked to plot to kill Sikh separatist on U.S. soil are serious: White House
The U.S. takes very seriously the allegations against an Indian government official who is accused of directing an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday.
-
What to know about the Sikh independence movement following U.S. accusation that activist was targeted
The U.S. has charged an Indian national in what prosecutors allege was a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist at the behest of an unnamed Indian government official.
-
New York punished 2,000 prisoners over false positive drug tests, report finds
New York's prison system unfairly punished more than 2,000 prisoners after tests of suspected contraband substances falsely tested positive for drugs, according to a report released Thursday. In hundreds of cases, the prisoners had committed no offense, but the flawed results were used to put them in solitary confinement, halt family visits, or cancel parole hearings.
-
An appeals court reinstates gag order that barred Trump from maligning court staff in N.Y. fraud trial
A New York appeals court Thursday reinstated a gag order that barred Donald Trump from commenting about court personnel after the former president repeatedly disparaged a law clerk in his New York civil fraud trial.
-
South Koreans want their own nukes. That could roil one of the world's most dangerous regions
With dozens of nukes in North Korea's burgeoning arsenal, repeated threats to launch them at its enemies, and a stream of tests of powerful missiles designed to pinpoint target a U.S. city with a nuclear strike, a growing number of South Koreans are losing faith in America's vow to back its longtime ally.
-
Russian missile strikes in eastern Ukraine rip through buildings, kill 2 and bury families in rubble
Russian missiles tore through apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, local officials said Thursday, killing at least two people and burying families under rubble as the Kremlin's forces continued to pound the fiercely contested area with long-range weapons.
Politics
-
Canadian government to buy Boeing P-8A surveillance planes to replace aging Auroras
The federal government is buying at least 14 Boeing surveillance planes from the United States to replace the aging CP-140 Aurora fleet, cabinet ministers announced Thursday. The deal costs more than $10 billion in total, including US$5.9 billion for the jets themselves, and the planes are expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Claims of toxic workplace at CSIS absolutely 'devastating': PM says
Allegations of a toxic workplace culture, involving harassment and sexual assault at Canada's spy agency are 'devastating' and 'absolutely unacceptable,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.
-
TREND LINE
TREND LINE Liberals and NDP tied in ballot support, Conservatives 19 points ahead: Nanos
The governing minority Liberals' decline in the polls has now placed them in a tie for support with their confidence-and-supply partners the NDP, while the Conservatives are now 19 points ahead, according Nanos' latest ballot tracking.
Health
-
Years in the works, Canada's new 988 suicide crisis line is now available
In a massive step towards prioritizing the mental health and well-being of Canadians, the government has officially launched a nationwide, three-digit suicide crisis helpline.
-
Create national breast-implant registry to help prevent complications: committee
The House of Commons health committee is echoing long-standing calls from plastic surgeons and patient advocates for a national breast-implant registry to prevent illness and problems linked to the medical devices.
-
Alternative healer faces manslaughter charge over woman's death at a U.K. slapping therapy workshop
An alternative healer who advocates a technique known as 'slapping therapy' was charged Thursday over the death of a woman at one of his workshops in England seven years ago.
Sci-Tech
-
Chinstrap penguins nod off more than 10,000 times per day in seconds-long 'microsleeps,' study finds
A new study has documented the peculiar sleeping habits of this species of penguin. Instead of taking one long continuous period of sleep, chinstrap penguins prefer to sleep in seconds-long intervals, more than 10,000 times a day.
-
Brazilian city enacts an ordinance secretly written by a surprising new staffer: ChatGPT
City lawmakers in Brazil have enacted what appears to be the nation's first legislation written entirely by artificial intelligence -- even if they didn't know it at the time.
-
Make a mess of the streets of Toronto as a raccoon in new video game 'Trash Panda'
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience the city as a raccoon, wreaking havoc and being enamored with garbage? Well, a new video game created by a Toronto-based filmmaker lets you do just that. The game, ‘Trash Panda,’ was officially released on Nov. 15 and is now available for sale.
Entertainment
-
Shane MacGowan, lead singer of The Pogues and a laureate of booze and beauty, dies at age 65
Shane MacGowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of 'Celtic Punk' band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad 'Fairytale of New York,' died Thursday, his family said. He was 65.
-
After hearing, judge mulls extending pause on John Oates' sale of stake in business with Daryl Hall
A lawsuit by Daryl Hall over John Oates' plan to sell his share of the Hall & Oates duo's joint venture without the other's permission headed Thursday to court, where a judge will decide whether to keep pausing the deal.
-
Will an earlier Oscars broadcast attract more viewers? ABC plans to try the 7 p.m. slot in 2024
Academy Awards enthusiasts won't have to stay up quite as late to hear the best picture winner in March. The 96th Oscars will begin one hour early, with the official show starting at 7 p.m. Eastern for the first time, ABC said Thursday.
Business
-
Canadian economy shrank in Q3 but manages to 'keep its head above recession waters'
The Canadian economy shrank in the third quarter as higher rates weighed on consumer and business spending, but has so far managed to skirt a recession after a significant upward revision to second quarter GDP figures.
-
TD Bank cuts jobs as quarterly results reflect a gloomy economic picture
TD Bank Group said it's cutting three per cent of staff and setting more money aside for souring loans as it reported fourth quarter results that reflect a deteriorating economic picture.
-
Academy Sports is paying US$2.5 million to families of a serial killer's victims for illegal gun sales
A sporting goods chain is paying the families of three people shot to death by a South Carolina serial killer US$2.5 million after one of its stores sold guns to a straw buyer who gave them to the killer, a felon who couldn't legally buy the weapons.
Lifestyle
-
This Saskatoon man just turned 104 years old and he still likes to boogie
A Saskatoon man is celebrating a remarkable milestone this week as he turns 104 years old. With a life that has spanned over ten decades, Nick Kazuska is still going strong.
-
'I just fell in love with it:' Montreal high school students learn how to cut hair
A small group of Montreal high school students is completing a 10-week program on cutting hair, learning everything from basic techniques to what it's like to run a barber shop.
-
What's Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023? Hint: Be true to yourself
In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is "authentic."
Sports
-
Arrest warrant issued for Buffalo Bills LB Von Miller for alleged assault of pregnant person
Police in Dallas have issued an arrest warrant for Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller for allegedly assaulting a pregnant person.
-
Canadian women's ski jump team chases excellence from base abroad
Four Calgarian women under the age of 25 have made Planica Nordic Centre and its valley their residence 10 months of the year since June 2021. Canadian ski jumping was in survival mode when Calgary's ski jumps built for the 1988 Olympic Games shuttered in 2018.
-
Canadian men fall three places to No. 48 in latest FIFA world rankings
SOCanada has dropped three places to No. 48 in the latest FIFA world rankings in the wake of its CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal loss to Jamaica. The Reggae Boyz remained at No. 55 after winning the two-legged series on the away goals rule after a 3-2 comeback win Nov. 21 in Toronto knotted the series at 4-4.
Autos
-
New technology installed beneath Detroit street can charge electric vehicles as they drive
Crews have installed what's billed as the nation's first wireless-charging public roadway for electric vehicles beneath a street just west of downtown Detroit.
-
Consumer Reports: Electric vehicles less reliable, on average, than conventional cars and trucks
Electric vehicles have proved far less reliable, on average, than gasoline-powered cars, trucks and SUVs, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports, which found that EVs from the 2021 through 2023 model years encountered nearly 80 per cent more problems than did vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines.
-
GM says strike cost US$1.1B, but it can absorb rising labour costs as it raises dividend
General Motors says pretax earnings took a $1.1 billion hit this year from a six-week strike by autoworkers, but the company expects to absorb the costs of a new contract and is even raising its dividend.
