Tennessee

Suspect Freed from Jail without Bail in Memphis After Allegedly Murdering 15-Year-Old Boy on Thanksgiving

November 28, 2023 by John Binder Leave a Comment

A man charged with murdering a 15-year-old boy on Thanksgiving in Memphis, Tennessee, has since been freed from jail without having to pay bail.

Edio White, 18, and Conner Tucker,15, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder during a robbery, criminal attempted aggravated robbery, and illegal possession of a weapon after allegedly shooting to death 15-year-old Anthony Mason outside his home on Thanksgiving in the Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis.

According to police, security footage shows White driving a Hyundai Sonata to Mason’s residence in the middle of the night on Thanksgiving with Tucker in the passenger seat. Mason can be seen interacting with the pair outside the residence, police said.

At one point, while the three were passing firearms back and forth to each other, White allegedly grabbed a firearm from Mason which led to a struggle between the two before Tucker allegedly fired a gunshot to Mason’s head from inside the vehicle.

As Mason fell to the ground, dying instantly, the pair fled the scene in the vehicle. Police said Tucker admitted to shooting Mason in the head, while he said White was the getaway driver.

White likewise admitted he was the driver, police said, and that they were headed to Mason’s residence that night to rob him with a pistol.

Since their arrests on Black Friday, White has been released from jail on his own recognizance without having to pay bail. His release has sparked backlash, including from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who said “Criminals belong behind bars, not out on the streets,” in a statement posted to Twitter.

White’s release from jail despite a murder charge comes as Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy (D) has overhauled the bail system in Memphis — now taking into account a suspect’s personal finances and whether they would be able to pay any bail at all.

While rolling out the new bail system in February, Mulroy said bail is “harder on the poor, it’s harder on minorities” and that his overhaul “is an attempt to fix that.”

Mulroy won the District Attorney’s race last year, ousting Republican Amy Weirich from the office. In the race, Mulroy was boosted by the likes of far-left jailbreak organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Real Justice PAC.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter here.

Heart-pounding bodycam video shows police neutralizing Tennessee man wielding knives who allegedly tried to rob armored truck

November 24, 2023 by Paul Sacca Leave a Comment

Intense police bodycam video shows the moment a Tennessee cop neutralized a man wielding knives and aggressively charging at the officer. The man involved in the deadly police shooting reportedly attempted to rob an armored truck and a deli.

The Murfreesboro Police Department released bodycam footage of an officer-involved shooting of a man accused of two attempted robberies.

A Murfreesboro Police Department officer responded to a “strong-armed robbery” of an armored truck at 9:13 p.m. on Tuesday.

Murfreesboro Police Department spokesperson Larry Flowers said the suspect approached the armed vehicle employee, who was at an ATM. The suspect allegedly attempted to rob the employee but then fled after the armored truck worker produced a gun. The man allegedly ran into a nearby restaurant.

According to the police, the suspect also attempted to rob Jason’s Deli in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Employees at the deli informed WKRN-TV that the suspect – identified as Steven James Murphy of Murfreesboro – entered the restaurant and calmly told them, “I’m here for the money.”

Workers said the robbery suspect then allegedly began chasing the employees before they fled outside the deli.

Heart-pounding bodycam video shows the officer rushing into the deli, where the suspect was behind the counter. When the officer confronts the man, he charges at the cop with knives raised in both of his hands.

The officer desperately commands the knife-wielding man, “Drop it! Drop it now!”

Despite the officer’s orders, the man continues to sprint toward the cop.

In the bodycam video, three or four shots are heard being fired by the police officer.

The officer requests EMS for the injured suspect.

The man is lying on the floor, and two knives are seen near him.

“Don’t move,” the officer instructs the suspect.

The suspect was transported to a local hospital. The 44-year-old man later died from his injuries.

The officer, armored truck worker, and six employees in the deli were not injured, according to Flowers.

The officer involved in the shooting – five-year veteran Adam Claiborne – was placed on routine administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation into the fatal shooting.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent investigation into the deadly police shooting.

“At this time, this investigation remains active and ongoing,” the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. “TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his further review and consideration.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

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Scores of looters swarm gas stations and wreak havoc in America’s most violent city

November 14, 2023 by Joseph MacKinnon Leave a Comment

Scores of thugs swarmed two Memphis gas stations over the weekend, stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise and destroying property. Looters also hit a 53-foot FedEx semi-trailer, stealing multiple packages.

While last year, former District Attorney Amy Weirich indicated that Memphis would trend in this direction if soft-on-crime Democratic professor Steve Mulroy was elected chief prosecutor, the exasperated mayor of America’s most dangerous city indicated this week the courts were to blame for failing to ensure that criminals are locked up.

Criminals on tour

WMC-TV
reported that multiple businesses were robbed and vandalized Saturday night.

“Some people referred to it almost as a purge, it was ridiculous,” said James Davis, owner of L.R. Clothier. “I saw some videos on social media.”

Davis’ business was broken into early Sunday morning, according to police.

“What this says to me is that people don’t fear any repercussions of their actions,” added the store owner.

Roughly $2,000 of items were stolen from the Exxon at 3483 Airways Boulevard. Over $15,000 of merchandise was taken from the Fill-N-Go gas station at 3084 South Third Street just hours later, where a clerk reported having a rifle pointed at him by a suspect. The mob is estimated to have inflicted $9,000 in damage at the second location.

Footage of one of the incidents shows a mob of looters, some masked and others bare-faced, ransacking a gas station and absconding with everything from candy to an electric sign. One hooded figure taking his time deciding which chocolate bars to load into his sagging pants can be seen carrying around a rifle. Another masked figure grabbing a handful of loot appears to be an adolescent girl.

Clerks and paying customers look on in disbelief as the looters pilfer without any fear of consequence.

The looters’ targets were not all stationary.

In what appears to have been a coordinated effort, drivers blocked a FedEx truck in the middle of Riverport Road and Mallory Avenue around 8:30 p.m., affording masked men an opportunity to break into the trailer and steal multiple packages.

WHBQ-TV
reported that Memphis Police arrived in time only to see various vehicles speeding and driving recklessly away from the gutted FedEx truck.

Officers later received a call from security at Breezy Point Apartments indicating that guards had detained three men suspected of breaking into the FedEx truck, all reportedly reeking of marijuana.

Inside the suspect’s white Chevrolet, police reportedly found four Kicker Speakers 6×9, a vehicle headlight, one 14-piece set of pots and pans, a cardboard box of air lines, and three DirectTV cable boxes.

The trio were taken into custody.

Par for the course

Following the recent lootings, Mayor Jim Strickland said, “I mean it’s similar to videos I’ve seen across the country. Those convenience store owners are small business people. I’ve met with them. They have to work there, themselves a lot, just to earn a living,”
reported WREG-TV.

“The court system needs fundamental change to adjust to what’s going on out in the community. The police are arresting them. The courts won’t keep them,” said Strickland.

While the mayor figures the courts are to blame for his city’s failure to keep criminals in check, former Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich
told “The Todd Starnes Show” last year that her Democratic opponent, now District Attorney Steve Mulroy, would be unwilling and unable “to stand up and fight for the victims of crime and … enforce the law.”

Weirich added that Mulroy’s election would leave Memphis looking like San Francisco, although by the numbers that would amount to an improvement.

Memphis scores a 0 on Neighborhood Scout’s
crime index, where 100 is safest. The likelihood of becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 40. The chance of falling victim to a property crime is 1 in 18.

According to the
Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, a non-profit focused on public safety, major violent crime is up 5.4% this year in Shelby County. The major property crime rate has skyrocketed 42.1%.

Murders are up 77% this year and
on track to set an all-time city record. The previous record for deadliest year was set in 2021, where Memphis saw 346 homicides and 304 murders.

The city, which had a population of 621,056 last year,
reportedly has a poverty rate of 24.2%, an unemployment rate of 9.3%, and a median household income of $43,981, well below the national average. Its demographic makeup is 64% black and 27% white.

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