Why was Cerelyn Davis fired? Memphis cop's involvement in sex crime probe led to demotion in Atlanta PD
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Memphis police chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis, who is in charge of the five former officers accused in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop, was previously fired from her job following a botched investigation. She is now on the run to deal with the tragic incident that resulted from her officers' brutal acts that led to the death of a 29-year-old FedEx employee who is also the father of a six-year-old.
However, the release of the bodycam footage of the fatal beating during the confrontation has now erupted outrage across the US and is beyond the department's control. Davis is currently the 13th Chief of Police for the Memphis Police Department and is the first female chief of the department. She previously served as the 33rd Chief of Police of Durham, North Carolina, from June 2016 to June 2021 after she served as Atlanta Deputy Chief of Police from February 2014 to June 2016.
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Why was Cerelyn Davis fired?
In 2008, Davis was fired from her role at the Atlanta police department. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she was fired after she was allegedly involved in a sex crime probe into an Atlanta police sergeant Tonya Crane's husband Terrill Marion Crane. Even after the department obtained pictures of the man with underage girls, Davis was accused by two detectives as she instructed them to not investigate the sergeant's husband.
Later, Crane was indicted on child pornography, and in 2009, he pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography, according to the news outlet. A federal jury issued the indictment following the investigation not leading to any action and a later probe into the case highlighted the reason rooted in Davis. This botched sex crimes probe resulted in Davis being fired from the law enforcement force and being demoted from her role of major to lieutenant.
Davis' response to Nichols' fatal beating footage
Before the traffic stop video was released to the public on Friday, January 27, Davis who viewed the footage stated that it is worse than the notorious Rodney King video of the 1991 beating. She said that the visuals left her "horrified" and made her feel "disgusted," "sad" and "confused," and added, "In my 36 years, I would have to say I don't think I've ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad and, to some degree, confused."
Davis stated that there was no proper reason for the traffic stop and believes that the officers were in a state of "groupthink" as they approached Nichols and confronted him. “I was in law enforcement during the Rodney King incident and it’s very much aligned with that type of behavior … sort of groupthink. I would say it’s about the same if not worse,” she said during an interview with ABC's 'Good Morning Show'.