MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A family fighting for justice for Gershun Freeman, a man who died in custody at the Shelby County Jail last year, is now joined by national Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump.
Aside from mourning Freeman, his family says they are shocked and hurt at Shelby County’s own Sheriff Floyd Bonner. Attorneys and family members stood on stage, pointing fingers at Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
“There is nothing political about a homicide,” says attorney Brice Timmons.
“The entity responsible for this young man’s death has decided instead to try to make this story about Sheriff Bonner’s reelection,” said attorney Jake Brown.
This comes after Sheriff Bonner released a statement saying, “I want this community to know that I stand with these officers,” Bonner said. “I believe that if I were not running for another office these indictments wouldn’t have happened and I find this despicable.”
A video showed 33-year-old Freeman running naked through the 201 Poplar, where he was being held on charges of kidnapping and threatening his ex-girlfriend. Corrections officers tried to subdue Freeman, in a way Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump says was excessive and inhumane.
“I mean, they had handcuffs they were beating him with. They had the heavy metal keys they were beating him with. They were beating him with pepper spray canisters. I mean, it was repeated. Regardless of what anybody says, the video tells us what we need to know,” Crump said.
Nine corrections officers are now facing charges. Two of them are charged with second-degree murder.
In a press conference last week, Sheriff Bonner said he believes the officers, who fall under the sheriff’s jurisdiction, were indicted to tarnish his campaign to be the next mayor of Memphis.
Freeman’s family says that is shameful.
“Nine people involved, and I say Sheriff Bonner is just as accountable as the nine people that were there physically,” said Freeman’s wife Nicole.
As they call for the conviction of the nine officers facing charges, they are also calling for reform within the jail system.
“Ultimately, it was Shelby County citizens, the Shelby County grand jury that returned the indictments after watching the video. Nothing about that is political except the fact that Sheriff Bonner, an elected official, has failed in his responsibility to maintain a safe and secure jail,” Timmons said.
In a statement, Sheriff Bonner said the jailers took the necessary steps to restrain Freeman and called the indictments an “orchestrated political stunt.”
“Anyone who has seen the video or followed this case knows that the jailers took necessary steps to restrain an inmate that was violent and dangerous and posed a threat to themselves and other inmates. As noted by the coroner, it is unfortunate that he had serous underlying heart disease and it’s unfortunate he died of a heart attack,” Bonner said in the statement. “I stand by these officers and am honestly ashamed of anyone who is looking to capitalize off of an unfortunate and tragic death. The indictment is clearly an orchestrated political stunt just two weeks before Election Day and the people of Memphis can see through this blatant disregard for justice and the gross attack on public safety officers.”
The attorneys also made a statement in regard to their position on the Department of Justice investigation of Shelby County Sheriff’s Office saying, “We don’t ask the DOJ to expand its current MPD investigation per se. If DOJ leadership were to independently so choose, we would welcome a separate investigation of systemic, conscious-shocking civil-rights violations at the Shelby County Mens Jail at 201 Poplar Avenue.”
