U.S. Attorney Announces Department of Justice is Reviewing Darrius Stewart Shooting

Memphis, TN – In light of multiple inquiries regarding the July shooting of teenager Darrius Stewart by a Memphis police officer, U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III has announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ), in tandem with its Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting a comprehensive review of the matter.

In July, Stewart’s shooting was referred by local authorities to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). The TBI subsequently prepared a report for consideration by the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office. In early November, a state grand jury declined to indict Memphis police officer Connor Schilling on charges related to the death of Stewart.

The DOJ has been conducting an independent, comprehensive, and careful review of the evidence collected related to the shooting of Stewart. A team of agents, along with experienced prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., are conducting the review which encompasses all of the circumstances surrounding Stewart’s death.

At this time, the DOJ’s review is ongoing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot disclose any information about the Department’s internal deliberations.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal, state and local partners take very seriously all allegations of civil rights violations by law enforcement officers. The Department will continue to devote the necessary resources to examine any such allegations and will aggressively prosecute criminal civil rights violations whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so.