Congressman Cohen’s Statement on Memphis Safe Task Force Shootings

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) has been closely following events involving two recent fatal shootings by members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, and made the following statement:

“As I have said before, ICE and the National Guard are not needed in Memphis and should go home. These deadly encounters are the result of stepped-up law enforcement. I continue to be concerned, as I told former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at an oversight hearing, that we don’t know where ICE agents are being recruited from, who they are, or what kind of training they receive in firearms or policing. They showed us in Minneapolis, in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, that they don’t use deadly force as a last resort and, in both cases, the public has not been given the kind of information that would result in accountability for the officers involved.

“These killings are tragic, and we must do better.  In Tennessee, individuals don’t need a permit to carry a firearm.  That makes guns more common and law enforcement more difficult. All of this leads to a dangerous situation ripe for the use of deadly force.  

“One thing is clearly needed: an independent review of these incidents.  A thorough, credible investigation is needed to understand exactly what happened, why, and to ensure accountability.  We need to make it necessary to assure the public that proper procedures were in place and followed, and reduce the likelihood of these horrible incidents.  My Deadly Force Independent Review Act, introduced in February, would require law federal enforcement agencies establish procedures to immediately, independently and impartially review every use of deadly force and conform to a uniform standard set by organizations evaluating best practices. We owe that comprehensive review to the victims and the officers. I will continue to monitor the response to the most recent incidents.”

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