Public Safety
And Danger for All: Police pursuits, even when necessary, inherently risky
“No pursuit is worth the loss of innocent life,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said.
Reporter
Don Wade has been a Memphis journalist since 1998 and he has won awards for both his sports and news/feature writing. He is originally from Kansas City and is married with three sons.
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“No pursuit is worth the loss of innocent life,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said.
“As foolish as this sounds, there was never really a second thought when I was playing football, ‘What am I gonna do if football doesn’t work out?’” said Gabe Kuhn.
It took five years — five years — for New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo to be fired after Eric Garner’s death in 2014. In Memphis, in 2023, it took 13 days for five officers to be fired for their roles in Tyre Nichols’ death.
If all goes as St. Louis would like, outfielder Jordan Walker won’t be back to Memphis but pitcher Tink Hence could be in a Redbirds uniform before the 2023 season is done.
After 17 years as an assistant U.S. Attorney here, Memphis native Kevin Ritz now has the top job. He is more than prepared, but it is also a different challenge: “It’s hard to be in this chair. But you put the facts and the law together, and you do the right thing.”
Memphis has a massive crime problem. Steve Mulroy has lofty ideas about criminal justice reform, but priority is to reduce crime and make the city safer.
Craig Unger, president of the Memphis Redbirds and Memphis 901 FC, said the 12-year-old video board had “outlived its life.”
The Summer Avenue Merchants Association president wants to protect area small businesses, but says there’s value in national chains like Starbucks and Chick-fil-A, too. Crime, speeding, reckless driving top concerns for Summer Avenue areaRelated story:
Summer Avenue and the neighborhoods that surround it have, like most every area of the city, their fair share of problems with crime.
The old fairgrounds is being repurposed as Liberty Park, a $126 million mixed-used project anchored by the 227,000-square-foot Memphis Sports & Events Center, including apartments, retail, a hotel and more. Mid-South Coliseum’s future uncertain despite Liberty Park transformation Fond memories of old Fairgrounds and analysis of the competition led to Liberty ParkRelated articles:
Craig Unger left his dream of working for the St. Louis Cardinals in his hometown to become general manager of the Memphis Redbirds. Now, he’s added Memphis 901 FC under his reign and is considered “part of the Memphis fabric.” Just a touch of ‘Ted Lasso' for Craig Unger as part-owner of London soccer clubRelated story:
Yes, Memphis 901 FC President Craig Unger finds the TV comedy “Ted Lasso” amusing. But because he also has an ownership stake in Dagenham & Redbridge FC in East London, some moments “hit a little too close to home.”
Memphis animal control officer Lawrence Higginbottom has won a national award for his daily efforts in the field to reunite pets with their owners.
At faith-based HopeWorks, the mission to provide convicted felons with a fresh start isn’t just about education, training, and a good job. It’s about making a real change and living a better, God-centered life.
COVID-19 is still with us — no matter if it's categorized as a pandemic or an endemic. And two infectious disease experts say while there is less infection than there once was, danger remains. Cloudy messaging from leaders only hurts the public health effort.
The doctors say to expect a tough winter with more flu, and a COVID wave. They suggest being vaccinated against both and, yes, they still value in wearing a mask in some situations. Related story: ‘Pandemic’ or ‘Endemic,’ COVID-19 isn’t going away and might pack a winter punch
When highly publicized crimes shake a community, as recently happened in Memphis, the emotional and mental aftershocks linger. And leave behind the most uncomfortable of questions: Why do bad things happen to good people?
While some murder victims are remembered publicly as real, complex people, others are seen as simply statistics. And for their loved ones, that can make the pain even worse.
Recent crime in Memphis has made national, and even international, headlines. Greater Memphis Chamber president and CEO Ted Townsend can’t change that. But, as he continues to promote Memphis, he sees confirmation that those crimes don’t define the city.
With “A-list coaches” such as Bonzi Wells and Rochelle Stevens, a cybersecurity program, and plans for both an amphitheater and a health and wellness center, the HBCU is trying to increase its profile.
Memphis plays at Navy Saturday, the site of their last road conference victory two years ago. As Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo put it: “Both programs are desperate for a win right now.”
The Redbirds will commemorate his walk-off home run in 2000 on Saturday, Sept. 10, with a replica of the chair where that Pujols home run landed.
The Memphis offense got a 50-yard TD run from Jevyon Ducker at Mississippi State, but struggled badly in the first half in a 49-23 loss. They will need to be better for the full game Saturday at Navy.
The redeveloped Fairgrounds is not just a bet on the lucrative youth sports industry, it’s based on the expected benefits to surrounding neighborhoods such as Cooper-Young and Overton Square.
After a 49-23 loss at Mississippi State, Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield said Monday there were not a lot of bright spots from the first game of the season.