Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer has been cleared of any possible criminal charges relating to an October incident at the Downtown Memphis courthouse. A comprehensive investigation conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), which included reviewing video evidence and interviewing witnesses, found no evidence of Sawyer directing her personal security guard to evade courthouse security or her own involvement in any illicit activity. “The results of these were shared with and reviewed by my Office. There is simply no evidence that Clerk Sawyer solicited, aided or directed her security guard to bypass Courthouse security. Her interaction with sheriff deputies did not appear to violate any state law. As a result, she will face no criminal charges in this matter,” District Attorney Steve Mulroy stated in a news release, a statement which was echoed in coverage from The Commercial Appeal.
The incident, which garnered significant attention after state Sen. Brent Taylor shared a selective two-minute video on social media, prompted some to call for Sawyer's resignation. Full body camera footage however, which was later obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, did not support criminal wrongdoing, according to the DA's office. The altercation was verbal, not physical, yet it sparked a politically charged exchange between Taylor and Sawyer. Taylor harshly criticized Sawyer, referring to her as "a racist, radical anti-police activist," and to Mulroy as "a radical Restorative Justice Schemer," in a statement posted to his Facebook page which was detailed in coverage from Action News 5.
Despite the decision not to file charges, Taylor continues to stand firmly against Sawyer, pledging to "#MakeMemphisMatter despite these buffoons," as reported by Action News 5. He maintains his commitment to leadership that is "Trusted. Conservative," and expressed his determination to address crime in Memphis, referencing the intervention by federal forces in the city's crime situation.
Sawyer has defended herself amidst the controversy, describing the need for personal security as a response to threats she had received on social media and via email, a reasoning she shared in her video explanation, as reported by WREG News Channel 3. With the investigation now concluded and no charges forthcoming, the incident has highlighted the often fraught interaction between political figures in Memphis and the resulting tensions that can arise from public exchanges and social media commentary.
