RE: THE DUANNA JOHNSON INCIDENT AT THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT (TN)
TCOPS International, Inc. is deeply concerned and disturbed by the events captured on
closed circuit video at the Shelby County Jail in Memphis, TN involving two officers of
the Memphis Police Department as well as other staff members on duty at the time. The
actual mistreatment or even the perceived mistreatment of a prisoner while in the
custody of police officers sworn to uphold the law and to protect and serve is intolerable.
The severity of the attack on Ms. Duanna Johnson by an experienced and decorated
officer, for no more provocation than her passive refusal to comply with a verbal
command while already in custody, suggests that there may be more severe issues that
exist within the Memphis PD that place not only minority populations in danger, but the
greater community as well. The men and women of TCOPS are law enforcement officers
and law enforcement support personnel. Many of us have been engaged in arrest and
use of force situations and have subsequently become the subject of investigations into
our conduct during the course of events that transpired during an incident. We know
that there is always more than one point of view in any given incident. There are the
perceptions of the officers involved, the perceptions of witnesses, the perceptions of the
community at large and often more. It is rare that all these perceptions coalesce into a
single, clear point of view. However, in this case, with the evidence made available in
the video and interviews recently released by the media, it is difficult to imagine that
there could be very many disparate point of views about this incident.
During her interview Ms. Johnson stated that one of the officers was demeaning her and
using derogatory terms and references (calling her a “faggot” and a “he-she”). The
officer further refused to refer to Ms. Johnson by name and would not acknowledge Ms.
Johnson’s gender identification as female which was supported by her obvious
physical gender presentation. It was for these reasons that Ms. Johnson passively
refused to comply with the officers demands by staying seated and, rather than de-
escalate the situation by simply referring to Ms. Johnson by name, the officer instead
escalated the level of violence to the physical attack of an unarmed and otherwise
compliant individual already in custody.
As law enforcement personnel we are greatly disturbed by the actions of the officers
involved in the attack and equally by the inaction of other staff members to intervene or
render aid to Ms. Johnson in a timely and compassionate manner. As transgendered
individuals we are appalled at the obvious bias and hate involved in the actions and
inactions of those involved. This kind of behavior harkens back to the abuses and
terrors of the Salem Witch Trials, The Spanish Inquisition, Slavery, The Holocaust,
Rwanda’s Civil War, Darfur and the list could easily go on. As an organization we feel
that the Memphis Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation should be examining this incident for potential acts of
crime committed by the officers and staff involved as well as for potential federal civil
rights violations and hate crimes.
Additionally, TCOPS is concerned that this incident took place in February of this year
but has only been brought to the public’s attention through recent investigative
journalism efforts now, in June. Was the Memphis Police Department conducting an
investigation previous to the public airing of this incident or has the investigation been
initiated because of the attention brought to this incident by the media? This is a
serious question that needs to be answered not only for those involved but for the
community of Memphis and for all LGBT people that live in or visit the city of Memphis.
The potential impact of the conduct of this investigation can be either extremely
negative or it can be equally as positive for the Memphis PD, the City of Memphis and for
the state of Tennessee. The choice is theirs but they would be well advised to
remember that not only are the members of the LGBT Community watching, but thanks
to the Internet and investigative journalists the rest of the world is watching as well.
TCOPS International, Inc. is deeply concerned and disturbed by the events captured on
closed circuit video at the Shelby County Jail in Memphis, TN involving two officers of
the Memphis Police Department as well as other staff members on duty at the time. The
actual mistreatment or even the perceived mistreatment of a prisoner while in the
custody of police officers sworn to uphold the law and to protect and serve is intolerable.
The severity of the attack on Ms. Duanna Johnson by an experienced and decorated
officer, for no more provocation than her passive refusal to comply with a verbal
command while already in custody, suggests that there may be more severe issues that
exist within the Memphis PD that place not only minority populations in danger, but the
greater community as well. The men and women of TCOPS are law enforcement officers
and law enforcement support personnel. Many of us have been engaged in arrest and
use of force situations and have subsequently become the subject of investigations into
our conduct during the course of events that transpired during an incident. We know
that there is always more than one point of view in any given incident. There are the
perceptions of the officers involved, the perceptions of witnesses, the perceptions of the
community at large and often more. It is rare that all these perceptions coalesce into a
single, clear point of view. However, in this case, with the evidence made available in
the video and interviews recently released by the media, it is difficult to imagine that
there could be very many disparate point of views about this incident.
During her interview Ms. Johnson stated that one of the officers was demeaning her and
using derogatory terms and references (calling her a “faggot” and a “he-she”). The
officer further refused to refer to Ms. Johnson by name and would not acknowledge Ms.
Johnson’s gender identification as female which was supported by her obvious
physical gender presentation. It was for these reasons that Ms. Johnson passively
refused to comply with the officers demands by staying seated and, rather than de-
escalate the situation by simply referring to Ms. Johnson by name, the officer instead
escalated the level of violence to the physical attack of an unarmed and otherwise
compliant individual already in custody.
As law enforcement personnel we are greatly disturbed by the actions of the officers
involved in the attack and equally by the inaction of other staff members to intervene or
render aid to Ms. Johnson in a timely and compassionate manner. As transgendered
individuals we are appalled at the obvious bias and hate involved in the actions and
inactions of those involved. This kind of behavior harkens back to the abuses and
terrors of the Salem Witch Trials, The Spanish Inquisition, Slavery, The Holocaust,
Rwanda’s Civil War, Darfur and the list could easily go on. As an organization we feel
that the Memphis Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation should be examining this incident for potential acts of
crime committed by the officers and staff involved as well as for potential federal civil
rights violations and hate crimes.
Additionally, TCOPS is concerned that this incident took place in February of this year
but has only been brought to the public’s attention through recent investigative
journalism efforts now, in June. Was the Memphis Police Department conducting an
investigation previous to the public airing of this incident or has the investigation been
initiated because of the attention brought to this incident by the media? This is a
serious question that needs to be answered not only for those involved but for the
community of Memphis and for all LGBT people that live in or visit the city of Memphis.
The potential impact of the conduct of this investigation can be either extremely
negative or it can be equally as positive for the Memphis PD, the City of Memphis and for
the state of Tennessee. The choice is theirs but they would be well advised to
remember that not only are the members of the LGBT Community watching, but thanks
to the Internet and investigative journalists the rest of the world is watching as well.
| Copyright © 2008-2010 TCOPS - Transgendered Community of Police & Sheriffs. All Rights Reserved. |
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| PRESS RELEASE Patrick Callahan—PIO Indigo.knight@yahoo.com TCOPS International, Inc. 1346 The Alameda #7-303 San Jose, CA. 95126 USA www.TCOPS-International.org TCOPS_International@yahoo.com June 23, 2008 |
| PRESS RELEASE Patrick Callahan—PIO Indigo.knight@yahoo.com TCOPS International, Inc. 1346 The Alameda #7-303 San Jose, CA. 95126 USA www.TCOPS-International.org TCOPS_International@yahoo.com May 11, 2009 |
Washington, D.C. – A Federal Air Marshal filed suit in United States District Court,
Marshal (FAM) Service, and various individuals within the FAM Service for multiple acts
of discrimination, violation of civil rights, harassment, retaliation, and creating a hostile
work environment.
The plaintiff, referred to as Veronica Doe, is a Special Agent with the FAM Service and
transitioned from male-to-female on the job in April of 2004. Ms. Doe alleges that since
her transition she has experienced a consistent pattern of discrimination and
harassment from not only her immediate supervisors, but senior staff as well. The
incidents referred to in the complaint include, but are not limited to;
• Directing Ms. Doe to use the bathroom facilities located in a commercial fast-food
establishment more than a block away from her office rather than the existing facilities
located in the federally owned building in which she worked.
• Inappropriately releasing personal and confidential medical information without the
knowledge or permission of Ms. Doe.
• Refusing and subsequently failing to facilitate necessary legal changes to Ms. Doe’s
official government passport, making it impossible for Ms. Doe to carry out
assignments involving travel out of the country.
• Ms. Doe being subjected by her supervisors to a Fitness for Duty Evaluation based
solely on the grounds that she expressed her new gender identity.
Ms. Doe is a law enforcement veteran with 23 years of honorable and exemplary
service of which 20 years have been spent in federal service with the remaining three
years in civilian service. She has chosen to use a pseudonym in the filing of this
action to protect her family and friends from the potential for death threats and other
forms of harassment that she has personally experienced in the past due to her
gender transition.
The Transgender Community of Police & Sheriffs International (TCOPS) is a peer
support and advocacy group for transgendered law enforcement officers and law
enforcement support personnel. We unanimously support Ms. Doe’s assertion that no
one should be subjected to any form of discrimination or harassment based solely
upon their gender-identity or their gender.
(END)
