15 September 2025
The Justice Department said the Memphis Safe Task Force was established by Presidential Order to support the White House “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis” action.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee
1 October 2025
The Justice Department described 1 October 2025 as the start of the Memphis Safe Task Force operational period used in its federal prosecution statistics.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee
13 May 2026
Four Memphis residents sued U.S. and Tennessee officials, alleging harassment, arrests and physical mistreatment connected to observing and recording Memphis Safe Task Force activity; the allegations were made in a lawsuit and were not adjudicated in the reporting reviewed.
Los Angeles Times/AP
29 June 2026
Darius Chappell was taken into custody in Clarksville after what police described as a “use of force” incident.
The Guardian
3 July 2026
Darius Chappell, described by The Guardian as a 34-year-old father of three young sons, was found dead in a cell at the Montgomery County jail.
The Guardian
5 July 2026
Two Tennessee National Guard members assigned to a crime-fighting patrol in Memphis fatally shot Tyrin Johnson, 20, during a downtown pursuit; authorities said Johnson turned toward the soldiers with a gun.
AP
5 July 2026
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the man killed in the 5 July Memphis shooting as Tyrin Johnson and said it was investigating the circumstances of the shooting.
AP
5 July 2026
AP reported that Johnson died at the scene after two National Guard medical specialists attempted first aid.
AP
6 July 2026
Evaniel Johnson, Tyrin Johnson's grandfather, called for video evidence to be released and said he wanted to see whether video supported the police account.
AP
8 July 2026
A member of the Memphis Safe Task Force fatally shot a man while DEA agents were serving a drug warrant at a Memphis hotel; CBS/AP reported this as the second fatal shooting by a task-force member in four days.
CBS News/AP
8 July 2026
CBS/AP reported differing official descriptions of the 8 July shooting: the U.S. Marshals Service said the man was killed after pointing a handgun at task-force members, while a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation release said the situation escalated for reasons still under investigation and a DEA agent fired into a room.
CBS News/AP
10 July 2026
The NAACP demanded suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force and asked acting attorney general Todd Blanche for a thorough, transparent federal investigation into the task force after the deaths of Tyrin Johnson and Darius Chappell.
The Guardian
10 July 2026
The Guardian reported that Clarksville police had launched an investigation into deployment of a police dog during Chappell's arrest and had placed an officer on administrative leave.
The Guardian
10 July 2026
The NAACP letter said no officers had been charged in Chappell's death and no official cause of death had been issued.
The Guardian
18 July 2026
The Guardian reported that taskforce spokespeople had not elaborated on the circumstances that led troops to open fire on Tyrin Johnson, had not released video from a Memphis police street camera near the shooting location, and that the soldiers were not wearing body cameras.
The Guardian · added 26 Jul 2026