The Shelby County Chancery Court will hear a case and decide if the City of Memphis violated state public records laws regarding a No Kings Day protest last March.
On Thursday the court will have a hearing to see if the city violated Tennessee’s Public Records Act (TPRA). The hearing comes after Memphis resident and University of Memphis law student Tyler Foster filed a lawsuit against the city.
Foster’s lawsuit raised concerns about how the city handled requests for Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) disciplinary records. A statement from Foster said in April that the court found the city violated state public record laws by making it harder to access documents.
The court asked the city to comply with TPRA. Shortly after this decision, Foster asked for more MPD disciplinary records — specifically those pertaining to officers involved in the March 28 No Kings Day protest.
Protesters gathered at Robert R. Church Park for a No Kings Day protest to speak out against President Donald Trump and the Memphis Safe Task Force. According to organizers, protesters marched down Beale Street, South Second Street, and onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue before returning to the park.
Organizers said MPD officers “escalated to violence” and said they “tackled, beat, maced, and arrested peaceful participants.” A statement from MPD said officers deployed pepper spray, and detained six people, with three being charged.
In the aftermath of the incident a coalition of community groups sent a letter to city officials demanding the release of body-worn camera footage, public identification of every officer present, and more.
Foster said the city declined his request for disciplinary records, which prompted him to ask the courts to intervene and see if the agency was in compliance with TPRA. According to Foster, the city “began producing records responsive to the requests.”
“Foster is continuing to review the production to determine whether it is complete and whether any issues remain,” his statement said.
Thursday’s hearing will investigate if the city violated the TPRA and the court’s order and if they did so willingly. Foster said the court will also see if the costs of obtaining the records would be recovered.
