memphis riverboat death

21-year-old Tamia Taylor’s cause of death determined

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - 21-year-old Tamia Taylor’s cause of death was determined on Wednesday.

The mother of 21-year-old Tamia Taylor confirmed that the body that was found in the Mississippi River over the weekend is that of her missing daughter.

Taylor’s cause of death was drowning and the manner of her death is undetermined at this time, according to Dock Ellis Foundation.

Her body was discovered Saturday on the West Memphis side of the river and was sent to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office in Little Rock.

The Hernando, Mississippi, native was  last seen September 9 in Downtown Memphis after getting on a midnight Memphis Riverboats cruise and reportedly never returning with the boat.

She was celebrating her 21st birthday.

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Woman’s Body Found 2 Weeks After She Disappeared from Riverboat Cruise While Celebrating 21st Birthday

Tamia Taylor went missing after coming to Memphis to celebrate her birthday with friends on Sept. 9, police said

Tamia Taylor/Facebook

The body of a 21-year-old woman who went missing along the Mississippi River while on a riverboat birthday cruise earlier this month has been discovered, according to police.

Tamia Taylor vanished after coming to Memphis to celebrate her birthday with friends on Sept. 9, the Memphis Police Department said in their initial news release .

"Miss Taylor boarded the Island Queen Booze Cruise at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, September 9, 2023, but was not seen by her companions after the boat returned to the dock and everyone offloaded," police wrote in the Sept. 12 release. "There were two exits on the boat for patrons to offload at the conclusion of the ride." 

"Early Sunday morning, Miss Taylor's mother drove to Memphis to file a missing person report after several unsuccessful attempts were made to contact her by phone," police added.

The Memphis Police Department said in a release on Saturday that police were "assisting the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department in the investigation of a body that was recovered on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River."

On Wednesday, the department confirmed to PEOPLE that the 21-year-old's body had been found and positively identified. 

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Police said Wednesday that they are awaiting autopsy results, but ABC affiliate WATN-TV and Fox affiliate WHBQ-TV reported that the Crittenden County coroner confirmed her death was due to drowning.

What preceded Taylor entering the water remains unclear at this time. PEOPLE could not immediately reach the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

In a previous statement , Memphis Riverboats said they had "no reason to believe she could have gone overboard."

"We can confirm from video footage circling around that she was last seen on the boat as the boat was pulling into the Harbor, where we dock our boats," they wrote. "We hope she is found safe and returns home."

The Dock Ellis Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the families of missing minority women, said on Facebook on Tuesday that it was "truly heartbroken" by the tragic discovery.

"Debra Taylor and her family are truly [grateful] for your thoughts and prayers," the foundation added. "Dock Ellis Foundation is asking everyone to please allow the family time to heal. We will all carry Tamia Taylor in our hearts."

"Tamia Taylor your life we honour, your departure we accept, your memory we cherish," the organization continued. "And although there is grief today as we say goodbye, there is gratitude for your life."

‘Devastated’: Body of 21-Year-Old Woman Who Disappeared While Celebrating Birthday with Friends on Memphis Riverboat Cruise Found In Mississippi River

The body of a woman who went missing more than two weeks ago was recovered from the Mississippi River. 

Authorities were able to locate 21-year-old Tamia Taylor on Saturday, Sept. 23, Fox 13 Memphis reported. She mysteriously disappeared after celebrating her birthday on a Memphis riverboat cruise in Memphis, Tennessee, with her friends.

When they docked after 1 a.m., her friends couldn’t find her , according to WREG. Her family reported her missing on Sept. 10, and her mother, Debra, told law enforcement that she’d last heard from her via text message about two hours before. She wondered why her daughter’s friends didn’t wait for her. 

“The only thing they told me was she went upstairs on the second floor to use the bathroom. ‘She put her phone down on the table, we picked her phone up, we went and waited by the door for her to come out, and then we left.’ Why would you leave? That makes no sense. Y’all came together, y’all stick together,” Debra  told  the news station. 

Related: Dirty Rice? Memphis Popeyes Kitchen Shut Down After Former Worker Posts Videos of Roach-Infested Restaurant and They Go Viral

According to the report, Memphis Riverboats said that Taylor returned to the dock that night. There were security cameras on the boat, but in a Sept. 11 statement, the company  said  videos posted on social media show “she was last seen on the boat as the boat was pulling into the harbor.”

Read the full story here.

“It would mean the world, even if we don’t get anything but closure as to what happened. That would mean the world to me, her family,” Debra  said last week, per WREG. 

It was determined that Taylor’s cause of death was drowning, her family told Fox 13 Memphis, but additional details were labeled as “undetermined.” Authorities believe there was no foul play involved. 

“She’s [Taylor’s mother] devastated. You have that type of hope that it’s not your loved one and you get the answer, and it’s a different type of feeling,” Jasmine Ellis of Dock Ellis Foundation said, the outlet reported. “So right now, she’s overwhelmed and naturally [has] the feelings a mother would feel if they lose their daughter.” 

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Body Found in Mississippi River Amid Search for Woman Who Disappeared from Riverboat

A woman’s body was found in the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River Saturday afternoon near the Interstate 40 bridge.

WREG said the body was found south of West Memphis across from President’s Island and was sent to the Arkansas Crime Lab for identification and cause of death.

The discovery comes two weeks after the disappearance of Tamia Taylor, a 21-year-old Jackson woman who was last seen celebrating her birthday on a Memphis riverboat, a s CrimeOnline reported .

Jasmine Ellis, CEO of the Dock Ellis Foundation, which is assisting Taylor’s family, told WHBQ that searches for the missing mom have been paused until information comes back from the crime lab.

“They’ve definitely reached out to the family; however, until they are able to identify the body, there will be really no communication in regards to what’s going on with the body they recovered yesterday,” Ellis said on Sunday. “So, we have not received any word. We just have to sit back and wait for the identification to happen.”

The foundation also sent out a statement from Taylor’s mother asking for continued prayers.

“We may not know if it’s Tamia, but it’s someone’s family member,” the statement said. “The search must continue.”

The Memphis Police Department is assisting the Crittendon County Sheriff’s Department in the investigation, and Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis was spotted at the scene Saturday afternoon, WREG reported.

Taylor was on the Memphis riverboat with three co-workers from the Jackson area on September 9. The co-workers said they last saw her headed to the bathroom aboard the boat.

A golf cart taxi driver told WHBQ that he twice saw Taylor with a man and two women on dry land after the cruise. Jay Munn said he’d already picked up passengers the first time he saw them, and when he returned, they declined his offer of a ride.

For the latest true crime and justice news,  subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast .

[Featured image: Tamia Taylor/Memphis Police Department]

According to law enforcement authorities with the Memphis Police Department and the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office, the body of Tamia Taylor was found in the Mississippi River on Sept. 23.

The young Black woman’s family said she went on a riverboat cruise to celebrate her 21st birthday and had mysteriously gone missing while aboard two weeks ago.

Authorities had reportedly been searching for Taylor since being alerted that she was nowhere to be found . While law enforcement said that foul play is not suspected, the family, through their spokesperson, stated that certain factors surrounding Taylor’s disappearance and subsequent drowning have been classified as undetermined by the medical examiner.

Jasmine Ellis, a spokesperson for the family from the Dock Ellis Foundation, said that Taylor’s mother is devastated. Ellis noted, “She’s overwhelmed and naturally [has] the feelings a mother would feel if they lose their daughter.”

The Dock Ellis Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps families of men, women, and children who are minorities and go missing . Ellis said that the police informed Taylor’s mother about the discovery of her body and death in person. The spokesperson added that multiple layers of the story need to be examined and investigated, including why an individual claimed he saw Taylor disembark from the boat and what the deceased woman’s friends who were with her on the cruise might know. She continued by saying the family has questions that need to be answered about the portion of the medical examiner’s ruling that was classified as undetermined.

According to a statement released by the Dock Ellis Foundation on the family’s behalf, Taylor’s mother and family are grateful for the community’s prayers, but they need privacy and time to heal. The organization further expressed that the young woman’s memory will be cherished, and while the family feels significant grief , they also feel gratitude for Taylor’s life.

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The Memphis Police Department has confirmed the identification of a young woman who was found deceased, after disappearing following her riverboat birthday gathering on September 9, 2023. The woman,  Tamia Taylor , turned 21 that day and was celebrating with friends in Memphis. 

Taylor was said to have embarked on the Island Queen Booze Cruise close to 11:30 pm. Upon docking, though, her friends were unable to find her. This unexpected disappearance prompted Taylor’s mother to take immediate actions, including a trip to Memphis and filing a missing person report, after failure to contact her daughter.

In coordination with the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department, the Memphis police conducted an investigation concerning a body that was found on the Arkansas side of the  Mississippi River  on September 23. This body was later conclusively identified to be Taylor’s.

Reports from local media, based on the Crittenden County coroner’s findings, stated that Taylor’s cause of death was drowning. The particular circumstances leading to her being in the water, however, remain uncertain. Memphis Riverboats, prior to the grim discovery, had released a statement indicating they were unaware of any signs that Taylor could have fallen off the boat. 

In support of the company’s statement, they noted: “We can confirm from video footage that she was last seen as the vessel approached the Harbor, where we dock.” The ongoing investigation to understand the cause and circumstances surrounding Taylor’s drowning is still underway.

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Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to undo Memphis' traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death

Jonathan Mattise And Adrian Sainz

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Republican Tennessee House lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill to undo the reforms to police traffic stops made by the city of Memphis in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers last January.

Republicans held the vote as Democrats accused Memphis Republican Rep. John Gillespie of being misleading about when the bill would come up again, resulting in Nichols' parents not coming to the Capitol in Nashville on Thursday.

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Gillespie called it a miscommunication. Nichols' parents attended Monday when the bill was initially on the itinerary, but it was pushed back, as Gillespie spoke with them in the gallery.

Nichols' death sparked outrage and calls for reforms nationally and locally. Videos showed an almost 3-minute barrage of fists, feet and baton strikes to Nichols’ face, head, front and back, as the 29-year-old Black man yelled for his mother about a block from home.

Five officers, who were also Black, were charged with federal civil rights violations and second-degree murder and other criminal counts in state court. One has pleaded guilty in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, and whether the department in the majority-Black city engages in racially discriminatory policing.

Activists and Nichols’ family drummed up support for the city council last year to pass ordinance changes. One outlawed so-called pretextual traffic stops, including for minor violations such as a broken taillight.

An officer’s incident report said Nichols was stopped for driving into oncoming traffic. Police chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said there was no evidence Nichols was driving recklessly.

Local governments in Tennessee couldn't have similar ordinances under the House-approved bill. The proposal says local governments can't have laws prohibiting or limiting "traffic stops based on observation of or reasonable suspicion that the operator or a passenger in a vehicle has violated a local ordinance or state or federal law.” A broader Senate version is awaiting a floor vote.

Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis said Gillespie lied to Nichols' parents that the bill wouldn't be heard that day.

“You saw the Wells family, spoke with them briefly, told them this bill wouldn’t come up until probably next Thursday,” Pearson said.

Gillespie, meanwhile, told reporters he offered to arrange a meeting during a conversation Tuesday with Nichols' stepfather Rodney Wells and mother RowVaughn Wells. Gillespie said he “feels horrible that they feel this way, but I told them this bill was on the calendar today and that my intention was adding an amendment if I was allowed.”

“My heart goes out to that family. I have had multiple conversations with that family," Gillespie told lawmakers. "However, I do not set the calendar here.”

In a news release, Nichols' parents said Gillespie had told them Wednesday not to attend Thursday "because he did not plan to bring the bill to the floor.”

“The Memphis ordinances, which we view as part of Tyre’s legacy, were crafted with the goal of preventing future tragedies and fostering trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Nichols' family said in a news release.

The state bill “not only undermines these efforts, but also disregards the collective voice of the people who tirelessly advocated for change," they said.

Gillespie said he brought the bill because people in his area are “begging for safer streets.” Another Republican supporter, Rep. Lowell Russell of Vonore, said the bill is a “no-brainer” and a “vote to back the blue.”

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, whose term ended Dec. 31, said he did not enforce the traffic stop ordinance and others passed after Nichols’ death because he thought they were illegal. New Mayor Paul Young has said he would enforce them. Young is among those urging lawmakers to reject the state rollback bill.

Lawmakers and Memphis citizens have shown frustration with an increase in overall crime in 2023, which includes a city-record 398 homicides and a jump in auto burglaries to more than 14,000. Memphis City Council chair JB Smiley Jr. cited the statistics during a meeting about retaining Davis as police chief under Young.

Young and the council kept Davis as interim police chief. Davis has been under the spotlight during the crime increase and after Nichols' death.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission reported that the overall crime rate increased by 7.2% in Memphis and 6% countywide last year compared with 2022. The last three months of 2023 saw the crime rate drop 6.4% in Memphis and 7.2% in the county compared with the last quarter of 2022, the commission said.

Law enforcement was “very proactive” in addressing car thefts, including handing out 10,000 free wheel locks and using an auto theft task force, commission president Bill Gibbons said in a news release.

In November, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced that about 55 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, would come to Shelby County to patrol roads and highways.

Tensions on the House floor escalated during an unrelated scuffle Thursday. Democratic House Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons and Republican Rep. Scott Cepicky briefly had to be separated by other lawmakers. Cepicky had tripped up a resolution praising Nashville’s public schools. Clemmons said Cepicky then made derogatory comments to him about Nashville’s schools.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Memphis judge postpones state trial in Tyre Nichols death until end of federal trial

Adrian Sainz

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

FILE - A crowd gathers to remember Tyre Nichols during a candlelight vigil on the anniversary of his death, Jan. 7, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. A judge on Friday, March 8, 2024, indefinitely postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols until after the conclusion of a federal court trial on civil rights violations. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht, File)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A judge on Friday indefinitely postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols until after the conclusion of a federal court trial on civil rights violations.

Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. made the ruling after defense attorneys filed a motion asking him to remove the state trial from the calendar to avoid "parallel prosecutions" that could hinder the officers' rights to defend themselves in both cases.

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The move comes after the trial for the officers on federal charges in Nichols' beating death was postponed from May 6 to Sept. 9 to give defense lawyers for more time to effectively prepare their case. That preparation, they say, includes reviewing 800 gigabytes of video, documents and other evidence given to them by federal prosecutors.

Nichols died in a hospital on Jan. 10, 2023, three days after he was kicked, punched and hit with a police baton after a traffic stop. Police video showed five officers beating Nichols as he yelled for his mother just steps from his house. Video also showed the officers milling about and talking with each other as Nichols sat on the ground, struggling with his injuries.

An autopsy report showed Nichols died from blows to the head, and that the manner of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries, cuts and bruises to the head and other parts of the body.

Memphis’ police chief has said that the department couldn’t substantiate any reason for the traffic stop.

Nichols was Black. The five officers also are Black. They were fired for violations of Memphis Police Department policies. Nichols’ death sparked outrage and calls for reforms in Memphis and nationally.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were charged with second-degree murder and other offenses in state court. They also have been charged with federal civil rights violations related to the use of excessive force and obstructing justice.

Mills pleaded guilty Nov. 2 to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors who recommended a 15-year prison sentence. His lawyer said he will also plead guilty in state court.

The remaining officers have pleaded not guilty to the charges in state and federal court.

Michael Stengel, the lawyer for Haley, noted during Friday's hearing that the officers face more serious penalties if convicted in federal court compared with state court. The officers face up to life in prison for the federal charges, as opposed to 15 years to 25 years in prison on the second-degree murder charges.

“Judicial economy and the ends of justice are best served by conducting the federal trial first,” the defense motion said.

Prosecutor Paul Hagerman said he agreed with postponing the state trial with no future date set, as long as all parties agreed to return to state court quickly and set a new trial date if the federal trial does not go forward.

Hagerman also said he had spoken with Nichols' family and they were “on board” with the postponement of the state trial.

“They want justice for their son, and they're going to see this through however long it takes,” Hagerman said. “They don't see today as some sort of loss.”

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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RiverBeat Music Festival: Here's everything we know about Memphis' new music fest

The lineup has been announced , tickets are on sale and Memphis' new music festival will kick off in less than two months.

RiverBeat Music Festival will feature more than 50 acts across five stages over three days, with the booking designed to bring together a diverse array of artists and audiences.

“RiverBeat was conceived as an inclusive event featuring a wide range of genres that will attract music lovers from all walks of life,” Mempho Presents event producer Jeff Branford said in a statement. “Through music, we will bring our community together, support our local businesses, and attract new visitors to our city. We believe this is what Memphis is all about.”

From the lineup to tickets, here is a look at what we know about the inaugural RiverBeat Music Festival.

When is RiverBeat Music Festival?

RiverBeat is set for Friday-Sunday, May 3-5.

Where will RiverBeat Music Festival be held in Memphis?

The music fest will be held at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis , along the Mississippi River.

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What acts are playing RiverBeat Music Festival?

The festival's lineup was announced Wednesday and includes these performers:

• Black Pumas
• Tobe Nwigwe
• The Band Camino
• Killer Mike
• Jessie Murph
• Morgan Wade
• Matt and Kim
• Whitey Morgan and The 78s
• Robert Randolph Band
• Durand Jones
• Del Water Gap
• Mindchatter
• 8Ball & MJG
• Charlie Musselwhite
• Southern Avenue
• Coco & Breezy
• White Panda
• Al Kapone & The BWA Band
• Phantoms (DJ Set)
• Don Bryant featuring The Bo-Keys
• S.G. Goodman
• The Heavy Heavy
• Kenny Brown
• Talibah Safiya
• Marcella Simien
• Lawrence Matthews
• Jimbo Mathus
• Lucky 7 Brass Band
• Bailey Bigger
• Dirty Streets
• Mark Edgar Stuart
• The Wilkins Sisters
• Salo Pallini
• Take Me to The River: Memphis — featuring William Bell, Eric Gales, Carla Thomas, Jerome Chism, Linda Beach and The Hi Rhythm Section
• Rodd Bland and The Members Only Band Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland
• School of Rock
• Additional DJ performers to be announced.

MEMPHIS CONCERTS: The 11 best concerts coming to Memphis in March: Bob Dylan, Winter Jam, Scarface & more

How much are tickets to RiverBeat?

Three-day general admission passes for RiverBeat are $249. Three-day VIP passes cost $995. Three-day parking passes are $100. Single-day general admission tickets are $99, single-day VIP tickets are $395, and single-day parking costs $40. VIP tickets will allow patrons access to private lounges, seating near the two main stages, air-conditioned restrooms, exclusive drink and food options, and more.

Three-day ticket and parking passes are on sale now. The daily lineup is expected to be announced later this month — along with several additional DJ acts — at which point single-day general admission, VIP and parking passes will also go on sale.

To purchase tickets or for more information, go to  Riverbeat.com .

Is RiverBeat replacing Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis?

RiverBeat will essentially replace the  long-running Beale Street Music Festival , which was paused by Memphis in May last fall following years of financial losses and dwindling attendance.

Fugees, Odesza and Jelly Roll top five-stage bill for inaugural Riverbeat festival in May

Pras Michel, from left, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean of the Fugees perform during "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" 25th anniversary tour on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

The lineup of the inaugural Riverbeat festival in Tom Lee Park this May features more than 50 acts and two music showcases on five stages.

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Mpd officer shot four times early friday morning, suspect captured, john stokes, a force at morgan keegan and in memphis, dies at 86, former germantown steakhouse to open as mexican restaurant, state house passes bill to stop bans on traffic stops, calkins: st. jude’s arm is coming to memphis. maybe it’s just in time..

Body found in Mississippi River identified as Tamia Taylor

M EMPHIS, Tenn. ( WREG ) — The Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the body of a woman who was recovered from the Mississippi River over the weekend was missing mother Tamia Taylor.

Her body was recovered on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River Saturday afternoon and originally discovered south of West Memphis across from President’s Island. 

According to the Memphis Police Department, no foul play was involved in Taylor’s death. No further details have been released.

Taylor was reported missing on September 10 after she disappeared while celebrating her 21st birthday on a Memphis riverboat cruise with three friends.

According to a police report obtained by WREG , her mother told officers she received text messages from Taylor the night before she was reported missing saying she made it to Memphis and was on the boat.

When the boat docked around 1:30 a.m., her friends said Taylor was nowhere to be found. The only trace of Tamia was her cell phone.

The riverboat company, Memphis Riverboat Cruises, said Taylor made it back to the harbor in Memphis.

When we spoke with Taylor’s mother Debra Taylor last week, she said she believes the friends she was with know what happened.

“It would mean the world, even if we don’t get nothing but closure as to what happened. That would mean the world to me, her family,” she said.

We reached out to Memphis Riverboat Cruises for comment, but have not yet heard back. On their website though, it appears all midnight booze cruises have been canceled for the foreseeable future. 

We also asked MPD if any of the liability falls on the cruise company, but they did not respond with an answer. 

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.

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Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to undo Memphis’ traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death

Rodney and RowVaughn Wells, the parents of Tyre Nichols, attend a House session of the state legislature Monday, March 4, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Nichols was beaten by five Memphis police officers during a traffic stop and died of his injuries in January 2023. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Tennessee House lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill to undo the reforms to police traffic stops made by the city of Memphis in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers last January.

Republicans held the vote as Democrats accused Memphis Republican Rep. John Gillespie of being misleading about when the bill would come up again, resulting in Nichols’ parents not coming to the Capitol in Nashville on Thursday.

Gillespie called it a miscommunication. Nichols’ parents attended Monday when the bill was initially on the itinerary, but it was pushed back, as Gillespie spoke with them in the gallery.

Nichols’ death sparked outrage and calls for reforms nationally and locally. Videos showed an almost 3-minute barrage of fists, feet and baton strikes to Nichols’ face, head, front and back, as the 29-year-old Black man yelled for his mother about a block from home.

Five officers, who were also Black, were charged with federal civil rights violations and second-degree murder and other criminal counts in state court. One has pleaded guilty in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, and whether the department in the majority-Black city engages in racially discriminatory policing.

Activists and Nichols’ family drummed up support for the city council last year to pass ordinance changes. One outlawed so-called pretextual traffic stops, including for minor violations such as a broken taillight.

An officer’s incident report said Nichols was stopped for driving into oncoming traffic. Police chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said there was no evidence Nichols was driving recklessly.

Local governments in Tennessee couldn’t have similar ordinances under the House-approved bill. The proposal says local governments can’t have laws prohibiting or limiting “traffic stops based on observation of or reasonable suspicion that the operator or a passenger in a vehicle has violated a local ordinance or state or federal law.” A broader Senate version is awaiting a floor vote.

Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis said Gillespie lied to Nichols’ parents that the bill wouldn’t be heard that day.

“You saw the Wells family, spoke with them briefly, told them this bill wouldn’t come up until probably next Thursday,” Pearson said.

Gillespie, meanwhile, told reporters he offered to arrange a meeting during a conversation Tuesday with Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells and mother RowVaughn Wells. Gillespie said he “feels horrible that they feel this way, but I told them this bill was on the calendar today and that my intention was adding an amendment if I was allowed.”

“My heart goes out to that family. I have had multiple conversations with that family,” Gillespie told lawmakers. “However, I do not set the calendar here.”

In a news release, Nichols’ parents said Gillespie had told them Wednesday not to attend Thursday “because he did not plan to bring the bill to the floor.”

“The Memphis ordinances, which we view as part of Tyre’s legacy, were crafted with the goal of preventing future tragedies and fostering trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Nichols’ family said in a news release.

The state bill “not only undermines these efforts, but also disregards the collective voice of the people who tirelessly advocated for change,” they said.

Gillespie said he brought the bill because people in his area are “begging for safer streets.” Another Republican supporter, Rep. Lowell Russell of Vonore, said the bill is a “no-brainer” and a “vote to back the blue.”

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, whose term ended Dec. 31, said he did not enforce the traffic stop ordinance and others passed after Nichols’ death because he thought they were illegal. New Mayor Paul Young has said he would enforce them. Young is among those urging lawmakers to reject the state rollback bill.

Lawmakers and Memphis citizens have shown frustration with an increase in overall crime in 2023, which includes a city-record 398 homicides and a jump in auto burglaries to more than 14,000. Memphis City Council chair JB Smiley Jr. cited the statistics during a meeting about retaining Davis as police chief under Young.

Young and the council kept Davis as interim police chief. Davis has been under the spotlight during the crime increase and after Nichols’ death.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission reported that the overall crime rate increased by 7.2% in Memphis and 6% countywide last year compared with 2022. The last three months of 2023 saw the crime rate drop 6.4% in Memphis and 7.2% in the county compared with the last quarter of 2022, the commission said.

Law enforcement was “very proactive” in addressing car thefts, including handing out 10,000 free wheel locks and using an auto theft task force, commission president Bill Gibbons said in a news release.

In November, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced that about 55 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, would come to Shelby County to patrol roads and highways.

Tensions on the House floor escalated during an unrelated scuffle Thursday. Democratic House Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons and Republican Rep. Scott Cepicky briefly had to be separated by other lawmakers. Cepicky had tripped up a resolution praising Nashville’s public schools. Clemmons said Cepicky then made derogatory comments to him about Nashville’s schools.

Memphis judge postpones state trial in Tyre Nichols death until end of federal trial

A judge has indefinitely postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols until after the conclusion of a federal court trial on civil rights violations

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A judge on Friday indefinitely postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols until after the conclusion of a federal court trial on civil rights violations.

Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. made the ruling after defense attorneys filed a motion asking him to remove the state trial from the calendar to avoid "parallel prosecutions" that could hinder the officers' rights to defend themselves in both cases.

The move comes after the trial for the officers on federal charges in Nichols' beating death was postponed from May 6 to Sept. 9 to give defense lawyers for more time to effectively prepare their case. That preparation, they say, includes reviewing 800 gigabytes of video, documents and other evidence given to them by federal prosecutors.

Nichols died in a hospital on Jan. 10, 2023, three days after he was kicked, punched and hit with a police baton after a traffic stop. Police video showed five officers beating Nichols as he yelled for his mother just steps from his house. Video also showed the officers milling about and talking with each other as Nichols sat on the ground, struggling with his injuries.

An autopsy report showed Nichols died from blows to the head, and that the manner of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries, cuts and bruises to the head and other parts of the body.

Memphis’ police chief has said that the department couldn’t substantiate any reason for the traffic stop.

Nichols was Black. The five officers also are Black. They were fired for violations of Memphis Police Department policies. Nichols’ death sparked outrage and calls for reforms in Memphis and nationally.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were charged with second-degree murder and other offenses in state court. They also have been charged with federal civil rights violations related to the use of excessive force and obstructing justice.

Mills pleaded guilty Nov. 2 to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors who recommended a 15-year prison sentence. His lawyer said he will also plead guilty in state court.

The remaining officers have pleaded not guilty to the charges in state and federal court.

Michael Stengel, the lawyer for Haley, noted during Friday's hearing that the officers face more serious penalties if convicted in federal court compared with state court. The officers face up to life in prison for the federal charges, as opposed to 15 years to 25 years in prison on the second-degree murder charges.

“Judicial economy and the ends of justice are best served by conducting the federal trial first,” the defense motion said.

Prosecutor Paul Hagerman said he agreed with postponing the state trial with no future date set, as long as all parties agreed to return to state court quickly and set a new trial date if the federal trial does not go forward.

Hagerman also said he had spoken with Nichols' family and they were “on board” with the postponement of the state trial.

“They want justice for their son, and they're going to see this through however long it takes,” Hagerman said. “They don't see today as some sort of loss.”

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Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to undo Memphis' traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Republican Tennessee House lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill to undo the reforms to police traffic stops made by the city of Memphis in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers last January.

Republicans held the vote as Democrats accused Memphis Republican Rep. John Gillespie of being misleading about when the bill would come up again, resulting in Nichols’ parents not coming to the Capitol in Nashville on Thursday.

Gillespie called it a miscommunication. Nichols’ parents attended Monday when the bill was initially on the itinerary, but it was pushed back, as Gillespie spoke with them in the gallery.

Nichols’ death sparked outrage and calls for reforms nationally and locally. Videos showed an almost 3-minute barrage of fists, feet and baton strikes to Nichols’ face, head, front and back, as the 29-year-old Black man yelled for his mother about a block from home.

Five officers, who were also Black, were charged with federal civil rights violations and second-degree murder and other criminal counts in state court. One has pleaded guilty in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, and whether the department in the majority-Black city engages in racially discriminatory policing.

Activists and Nichols’ family drummed up support for the city council last year to pass ordinance changes. One outlawed so-called pretextual traffic stops, including for minor violations such as a broken taillight.

An officer’s incident report said Nichols was stopped for driving into oncoming traffic. Police chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said there was no evidence Nichols was driving recklessly.

Local governments in Tennessee couldn’t have similar ordinances under the House-approved bill. The proposal says local governments can’t have laws prohibiting or limiting “traffic stops based on observation of or reasonable suspicion that the operator or a passenger in a vehicle has violated a local ordinance or state or federal law.” A broader Senate version is awaiting a floor vote.

Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis said Gillespie lied to Nichols’ parents that the bill wouldn’t be heard that day.

“You saw the Wells family, spoke with them briefly, told them this bill wouldn’t come up until probably next Thursday,” Pearson said.

Gillespie, meanwhile, told reporters he offered to arrange a meeting during a conversation Tuesday with Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells and mother RowVaughn Wells. Gillespie said he “feels horrible that they feel this way, but I told them this bill was on the calendar today and that my intention was adding an amendment if I was allowed.”

“My heart goes out to that family. I have had multiple conversations with that family,” Gillespie told lawmakers. “However, I do not set the calendar here.”

In a news release, Nichols’ parents said Gillespie had told them Wednesday not to attend Thursday “because he did not plan to bring the bill to the floor.”

“The Memphis ordinances, which we view as part of Tyre’s legacy, were crafted with the goal of preventing future tragedies and fostering trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Nichols’ family said in a news release.

The state bill “not only undermines these efforts, but also disregards the collective voice of the people who tirelessly advocated for change,” they said.

Gillespie said he brought the bill because people in his area are “begging for safer streets.” Another Republican supporter, Rep. Lowell Russell of Vonore, said the bill is a “no-brainer” and a “vote to back the blue.”

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, whose term ended Dec. 31, said he did not enforce the traffic stop ordinance and others passed after Nichols’ death because he thought they were illegal. New Mayor Paul Young has said he would enforce them. Young is among those urging lawmakers to reject the state rollback bill.

Lawmakers and Memphis citizens have shown frustration with an increase in overall crime in 2023, which includes a city-record 398 homicides and a jump in auto burglaries to more than 14,000. Memphis City Council chair JB Smiley Jr. cited the statistics during a meeting about retaining Davis as police chief under Young.

Young and the council kept Davis as interim police chief. Davis has been under the spotlight during the crime increase and after Nichols’ death.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission reported that the overall crime rate increased by 7.2% in Memphis and 6% countywide last year compared with 2022. The last three months of 2023 saw the crime rate drop 6.4% in Memphis and 7.2% in the county compared with the last quarter of 2022, the commission said.

Law enforcement was “very proactive” in addressing car thefts, including handing out 10,000 free wheel locks and using an auto theft task force, commission president Bill Gibbons said in a news release.

In November, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced that about 55 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, would come to Shelby County to patrol roads and highways.

Tensions on the House floor escalated during an unrelated scuffle Thursday. Democratic House Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons and Republican Rep. Scott Cepicky briefly had to be separated by other lawmakers. Cepicky had tripped up a resolution praising Nashville’s public schools. Clemmons said Cepicky then made derogatory comments to him about Nashville’s schools.

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Row over possible River Cam bathing spot frequented by Darwin and Lord Byron

Proponents of ‘bathing waters’ designation say it would force action on sewage but others worry about impact of more visitors

The waters of the River Cam are an unsettling lurid green on a dull day. The river that flows through Cambridge and has been enjoyed by swimmers including Lord Byron , Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf and Roger Deakin is increasingly polluted from sewage discharges and phosphates and nitrates from farmland.

Now swimmers hope that the government designating a short stretch of the river at Sheep’s Green as “bathing waters” will provide the impetus to clean it up.

The government will next month decide whether to approve up to 27 bathing water sites in England including four spots on the River Dart in Devon, two on Lake Coniston in the Lake District and popular riverine swimming places on the Severn, Stour, Ribble, Thames, Tone and Wharfe.

As well as encouraging increasingly popular wild swimming, supporters of the bathing waters designation say that the weekly water quality monitoring it necessitates would provide the evidence to legally require water companies to tackle pollution.

Opponents argue that the water companies are already legally obliged to tackle pollution and designating polluted rivers for swimming endangers people’s health and puts the onus on citizen action to correct regulatory shortcomings.

At Sheep’s Green, conservationists and some residents are vehemently opposed to the designation because of the impact extra visitors would have on a trio of adjacent nature reserves.

According to opponents of the designation, Sheep’s Green already throngs with summer visitors including Cambridge punts, paddleboarders, picnickers and canoe club members. They fear the bathing water designation would attract even more visitors, who erode the banks where water voles live and picnic on the ecologically sensitive nature reserves, which are also already filled with decomposing toilet tissue from wild toiletting.

“It’s crazy,” said Pamela Gatrell, the chair of Friends of Paradise, one of the three nature reserves surrounding the proposed bathing area. “The facilities needed for a bathing waters site just aren’t here. The small car park is already full in the summer and there is one set of toilets in the playground, and they are frequently out of use.

“The designation will make Sheep’s Green a honeypot destination with everybody concentrated in one area instead of spreading swimming along the river. It encourages people to think a little section of the river can be cleaned up, rather than cleaning up the whole river.”

The designation for Sheep’s Green is supported by Cambridge city council, Anglian Water and the Cam Valley Forum charity, which proposed the idea . Its consultation of more than 500 people found 93% in favour.

According to the charity, designation is a pragmatic and useful step to cleaning up the river.

“It’s not a panacea and it’s not instant but getting the designation definitely helps,” said Anne Miller, of the Cam Valley Forum. “The free market water system is completely dysfunctional. Bathing water designation is one of the few legal levers that we have, and in the recent past it has been effective. We should be using every lever we can to get the water companies to clean up the Cam.”

Supporters of the Sheep’s Green designation cite the example of Ilkley, the first riverine site to be designated in 2021 , where Yorkshire Water is investing in new sewage pipes to clean up the River Wharfe.

If Sheep’s Green is made a bathing water site, the Environment Agency must record the water quality weekly during the bathing season from 15 May to 30 September. Results would be published online within days so swimmers know if the river is safe.

A “poor” rating for the water quality after the first swimming season would trigger a statutory obligation to identify the cause of the pollution. Miller expects that to happen and then, as long as Ofwat approve it, Anglian Water would be obliged by 2027 to upgrade the sewage works serving the village of Haslingfield upstream, which is understood to be the source of sewage pollution on the Cam.

According to Miller, Anglian Water, which supports the bathing water designation, has said that it is the quickest way to ensure the £5m Haslingfield sewage upgrade happens.

Opposing the designation are ecologists, the Green party, CPRE, Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Cam.

Tony Booth, of Friends of the Cam, said bathing water designations wrongly put the impetus on swimmer-activists and slow down the cleaning up of the rivers.

“The water companies are illegally dumping sewage into the rivers on a gigantic scale. The government should look to the power of the regulators and set a date for when it can be solved. What you don’t say is, ‘Why not use the energy of citizens all over the country to campaign for a clean bit of river in their area?’ It lets a regulatory-averse Defra off the hook and puts the onus on citizens to demand a bit of clean river.”

Addressing fears that the designation would lead to visitors disturbing the wildlife at Sheep’s Green, which includes kingfishers, water birds and eight species of bat, Miller said Ilkley reported no increase in the number of swimmers after its designation. She also said swimmers were unlikely to swim as far as Paradise nature reserve.

City councillors have said there will no “marketing” of Sheep’s Green as a swimming destination and they have no plans to expand the facilities there.

Miller added: “It is on our doorstep and it’s a special little place and I’d like it to stay that way too, but it’s not our private garden.”

The government consultation on the 27 bathing water sites ends on Sunday.

More on this story

27 new bathing sites considered for England as activists highlight sewage dangers

83% of English rivers have evidence of high pollution from sewage and agriculture

Environment Agency failed to find cause of toxic pollution near Windermere

Ministers abandon plan to end pollution rules for England housebuilders

Ministers ignored Natural England’s advice on plans to rip up pollution laws

River Wye health status downgraded by Natural England after wildlife review

Labour to use tactic that finished off Truss to force Tories into sewage vote

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Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to undo memphis' traffic stop reforms after tyre nichols death.

Jonathan Mattise And Adrian Sainz

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Republican Tennessee House lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill to undo the reforms to police traffic stops made by the city of Memphis in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers last January.

Republicans held the vote as Democrats accused Memphis Republican Rep. John Gillespie of being misleading about when the bill would come up again, resulting in Nichols' parents not coming to the Capitol in Nashville on Thursday.

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Gillespie called it a miscommunication. Nichols' parents attended Monday when the bill was initially on the itinerary, but it was pushed back, as Gillespie spoke with them in the gallery.

Nichols' death sparked outrage and calls for reforms nationally and locally. Videos showed an almost 3-minute barrage of fists, feet and baton strikes to Nichols’ face, head, front and back, as the 29-year-old Black man yelled for his mother about a block from home.

Five officers, who were also Black, were charged with federal civil rights violations and second-degree murder and other criminal counts in state court. One has pleaded guilty in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, and whether the department in the majority-Black city engages in racially discriminatory policing.

Activists and Nichols’ family drummed up support for the city council last year to pass ordinance changes. One outlawed so-called pretextual traffic stops, including for minor violations such as a broken taillight.

An officer’s incident report said Nichols was stopped for driving into oncoming traffic. Police chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said there was no evidence Nichols was driving recklessly.

Local governments in Tennessee couldn't have similar ordinances under the House-approved bill. The proposal says local governments can't have laws prohibiting or limiting "traffic stops based on observation of or reasonable suspicion that the operator or a passenger in a vehicle has violated a local ordinance or state or federal law.” A broader Senate version is awaiting a floor vote.

Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis said Gillespie lied to Nichols' parents that the bill wouldn't be heard that day.

“You saw the Wells family, spoke with them briefly, told them this bill wouldn’t come up until probably next Thursday,” Pearson said.

Gillespie, meanwhile, told reporters he offered to arrange a meeting during a conversation Tuesday with Nichols' stepfather Rodney Wells and mother RowVaughn Wells. Gillespie said he “feels horrible that they feel this way, but I told them this bill was on the calendar today and that my intention was adding an amendment if I was allowed.”

“My heart goes out to that family. I have had multiple conversations with that family," Gillespie told lawmakers. "However, I do not set the calendar here.”

In a news release, Nichols' parents said Gillespie had told them Wednesday not to attend Thursday "because he did not plan to bring the bill to the floor.”

“The Memphis ordinances, which we view as part of Tyre’s legacy, were crafted with the goal of preventing future tragedies and fostering trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Nichols' family said in a news release.

The state bill “not only undermines these efforts, but also disregards the collective voice of the people who tirelessly advocated for change," they said.

Gillespie said he brought the bill because people in his area are “begging for safer streets.” Another Republican supporter, Rep. Lowell Russell of Vonore, said the bill is a “no-brainer” and a “vote to back the blue.”

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, whose term ended Dec. 31, said he did not enforce the traffic stop ordinance and others passed after Nichols’ death because he thought they were illegal. New Mayor Paul Young has said he would enforce them. Young is among those urging lawmakers to reject the state rollback bill.

Lawmakers and Memphis citizens have shown frustration with an increase in overall crime in 2023, which includes a city-record 398 homicides and a jump in auto burglaries to more than 14,000. Memphis City Council chair JB Smiley Jr. cited the statistics during a meeting about retaining Davis as police chief under Young.

Young and the council kept Davis as interim police chief. Davis has been under the spotlight during the crime increase and after Nichols' death.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission reported that the overall crime rate increased by 7.2% in Memphis and 6% countywide last year compared with 2022. The last three months of 2023 saw the crime rate drop 6.4% in Memphis and 7.2% in the county compared with the last quarter of 2022, the commission said.

Law enforcement was “very proactive” in addressing car thefts, including handing out 10,000 free wheel locks and using an auto theft task force, commission president Bill Gibbons said in a news release.

In November, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced that about 55 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, would come to Shelby County to patrol roads and highways.

Tensions on the House floor escalated during an unrelated scuffle Thursday. Democratic House Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons and Republican Rep. Scott Cepicky briefly had to be separated by other lawmakers. Cepicky had tripped up a resolution praising Nashville’s public schools. Clemmons said Cepicky then made derogatory comments to him about Nashville’s schools.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to undo Memphis’ traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death

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Republican Tennessee House lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill to undo the reforms to police traffic stops made by the city of Memphis in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers last January.

Republicans held the vote as Democrats accused Memphis Republican Rep. John Gillespie of being misleading about when the bill would come up again, resulting in Nichols’ parents not coming to the Capitol in Nashville on Thursday.

Gillespie called it a miscommunication. Nichols’ parents attended Monday when the bill was initially on the itinerary, but it was pushed back, as Gillespie spoke with them in the gallery.

Nichols’ death sparked outrage and calls for reforms nationally and locally. Videos showed an almost 3-minute barrage of fists, feet and baton strikes to Nichols’ face, head, front and back, as the 29-year-old Black man yelled for his mother about a block from home.

Five officers, who were also Black, were charged with federal civil rights violations and second-degree murder and other criminal counts in state court. One has pleaded guilty in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, and whether the department in the majority-Black city engages in racially discriminatory policing.

Activists and Nichols’ family drummed up support for the city council last year to pass ordinance changes. One outlawed so-called pretextual traffic stops, including for minor violations such as a broken taillight.

An officer’s incident report said Nichols was stopped for driving into oncoming traffic. Police chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said there was no evidence Nichols was driving recklessly.

Local governments in Tennessee couldn’t have similar ordinances under the House-approved bill. The proposal says local governments can’t have laws prohibiting or limiting “traffic stops based on observation of or reasonable suspicion that the operator or a passenger in a vehicle has violated a local ordinance or state or federal law.” A broader Senate version is awaiting a floor vote.

Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis said Gillespie lied to Nichols’ parents that the bill wouldn’t be heard that day.

“You saw the Wells family, spoke with them briefly, told them this bill wouldn’t come up until probably next Thursday,” Pearson said.

Gillespie, meanwhile, told reporters he offered to arrange a meeting during a conversation Tuesday with Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells and mother RowVaughn Wells. Gillespie said he “feels horrible that they feel this way, but I told them this bill was on the calendar today and that my intention was adding an amendment if I was allowed.”

“My heart goes out to that family. I have had multiple conversations with that family,” Gillespie told lawmakers. “However, I do not set the calendar here.”

In a news release, Nichols’ parents said Gillespie had told them Wednesday not to attend Thursday “because he did not plan to bring the bill to the floor.”

“The Memphis ordinances, which we view as part of Tyre’s legacy, were crafted with the goal of preventing future tragedies and fostering trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Nichols’ family said in a news release.

The state bill “not only undermines these efforts, but also disregards the collective voice of the people who tirelessly advocated for change,” they said.

Gillespie said he brought the bill because people in his area are “begging for safer streets.” Another Republican supporter, Rep. Lowell Russell of Vonore, said the bill is a “no-brainer” and a “vote to back the blue.”

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, whose term ended Dec. 31, said he did not enforce the traffic stop ordinance and others passed after Nichols’ death because he thought they were illegal. New Mayor Paul Young has said he would enforce them. Young is among those urging lawmakers to reject the state rollback bill.

Lawmakers and Memphis citizens have shown frustration with an increase in overall crime in 2023, which includes a city-record 398 homicides and a jump in auto burglaries to more than 14,000. Memphis City Council chair JB Smiley Jr. cited the statistics during a meeting about retaining Davis as police chief under Young.

Young and the council kept Davis as interim police chief. Davis has been under the spotlight during the crime increase and after Nichols’ death.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission reported that the overall crime rate increased by 7.2% in Memphis and 6% countywide last year compared with 2022. The last three months of 2023 saw the crime rate drop 6.4% in Memphis and 7.2% in the county compared with the last quarter of 2022, the commission said.

Law enforcement was “very proactive” in addressing car thefts, including handing out 10,000 free wheel locks and using an auto theft task force, commission president Bill Gibbons said in a news release.

In November, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced that about 55 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, would come to Shelby County to patrol roads and highways.

Tensions on the House floor escalated during an unrelated scuffle Thursday. Democratic House Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons and Republican Rep. Scott Cepicky briefly had to be separated by other lawmakers. Cepicky had tripped up a resolution praising Nashville’s public schools. Clemmons said Cepicky then made derogatory comments to him about Nashville’s schools.

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