Memphis leaders call force used in early morning arrest 'excessive'; MPD says riot gear was worn to protect officers

Samuel Hardiman
Memphis Commercial Appeal

Van Turner, a Shelby County Commissioner and president of the Memphis NAACP branch, described the force used by law enforcement to arrest an African-American woman early Sunday morning as "excessive" and said he was donating to the woman's defense fund. 

"It seems like five or six officers jumped on top of her. It’s overly aggressive to me for one to jump on the one black female. Those officers just surrounded her on the ground. I don’t think it was handled well from what I saw on that tweet," Turner said. 

While some, such as Turner, criticized MPD's use of force, the police department said the donning of riot gear and heavy response to a Downtown confrontation that lasted from about 11 p.m. Saturday to almost 1 a.m. Sunday was necessary. MPD also said shots were fired at officers Downtown twice between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. 

MPD Director Mike Rallings also praised the peaceful protest that took place hours before the confrontation as "powerful and had meaning." 

The tweet Turner referenced was from Commercial Appeal reporter Desiree Stennett, who captured a woman, whom Turner identified as Victoria Jones, being detained by police. In the video, Jones is seen backing away from a marching line of law enforcement officers wearing riot gear. Law enforcement can be heard telling the crowd to move and seen pushing people back. 

Then a police officer is heard saying, "Somebody get her. Somebody get the girl in the gray hoodie.” Jones then turns away from an outstretched arm of an officer and is knocked to the ground. Multiple officers jump on top of her. She tries to get to her feet and manages to get on her hands and knees and then is knocked to the ground again. 

Jones was among at least seven people — all of whom were African-American — arrested and charged after a confrontation between about 100 and 150 people and dozens of mounted and riot-gear wearing law enforcement personnel at about 12:40 a.m. Sunday.  Some bottles and glass were thrown at police and at least one firework, though the MPD described it as more than one.

Jones was charged with misdemeanor rioting, resisting official detention and disorderly conduct. She is the founder of The Collective, an arts nonprofit in Orange Mound that is dedicating to uplifting black artists and encouraging them to be change-agents in Memphis. Both Turner and Sawyer described her as a personal friend.  

In a statement, Rallings said law enforcement donned riot gear to protect themselves and residents. He did not address the video of Jones' arrest, but drew a distinction between the confrontation and the peaceful protest against police brutality hundreds that took place earlier on Saturday evening. 

“Some have asked why our officers were wearing riot gear protection. I feel that this question is asked because some do not know all of the details. Clearly, you can see that our officers were wearing riot gear protection to protect themselves and so that they can protect our citizens. I have said that we support peaceful protest, but we will not stand by and let the few that want to wreak havoc tear down our city,” said Rallings. 

He said, "The peaceful protest that took place earlier in the day was powerful and had meaning. The riot that occurred later in the downtown area only brought chaos and civil unrest. My hat goes off to those who seek justice through peaceful protest; they have meaning, heart, and purpose.”

The fourth night of demonstrations in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, May 30, 2020, saw protesters face off with police in riot gear near the Orpheum on South Main Street. The protests are in reaction to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

An earlier video, taken just before she is knocked to the ground, shows Jones in a verbal confrontation with police as they march east down Beale Street from the intersection of Beale and Main Street.

Someone pulls her back and she begins to walk away with her back turned to the marching line of police. That's when police begin to pursue her and knock her to the ground. 

"As officers were in line formation to de-escalate the riot, suspect Victoria Jones refused to obey an official order.... [Jones] proceeded to riot and as officers tried to detain her, she resisted," the affidavit of her arrest reads. "[Jones] resisted by grabbing the cuffs and trying to get away from officers on foot." 

In the video of Jones' detainment, handcuffs are not clearly visible. According to the affidavit, the officers' body-worn cameras were activated. 

"It appeared overly aggressive. If there’s other footage I'd like to see it," Turner said. "Hopefully the officers have their video cameras on so we can see exactly what happened."

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer also criticized the arrest.

"This is my friend. This is someone I love deeply. She makes Memphis a beautiful place for so many people. Seeing her knocked down sets a fire in my bones. She and others are who we were waiting for until 5am. We were threatened with arrest for trying to get them all released," Sawyer wrote in a tweet that shared the video of Jones' arrest. 

DeVante Hill, who helped organize the past several nights of protests, was critical of how militarized law enforcement appeared to be. 

The fourth night of demonstrations in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, May 30, 2020, saw protesters face off with police in riot gear near the Orpheum on South Main Street. The protests are in reaction to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

"Definitely a shared responsibility but MPD with the biggest disappointment. There were young people there that perhaps instigated a peaceful moment but MPD unleashed an alarming amount of force that insighted what could have been very dangerous. Horses, AR15, and riot gear," Hill wrote on Twitter. 

Jones' arrest comes just days after a Memphis police officer knocked a woman over with a riot shield during a protest on Union Avenue in Midtown Memphis. On Friday, Strickland called for an investigation into that incident.

The events have unfolded against the back-drop of nationwide protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Monday. Four nights of protests in Memphis, including Saturday night, have been largely peaceful and much more orderly than what has been seen in Nashville, Minneapolis, Oakland and other cities.

The Sunday morning confrontation between law enforcement and the crowd appeared to be separate and distinct from the earlier protest. 

A protester faces off with a Memphis police officer during the fourth night of demonstrations in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, May 30, 2020, near the Orpheum on South Main Street. The protests are in reaction to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

Turner said he planned to call for a review of MPD and other law enforcement procedures at a news conference Monday. He also said he may call on other government officials and the Memphis Police Department to address the issue. 

Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter at @samhardiman. 

Commercial Appeal staffers Desiree Stennett, Laura Testino, Corinne S Kennedy and Joe Rondone contributed to this report.