TENNESSEE — The NAACP sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice on July 15, 2026, demanding an immediate federal investigation into the deaths of Darius Chappell and Tyrin Johnson and calling for the immediate suspension of the Memphis Safe Task Force. The civil rights organization cited serious concerns about the task force’s lack of training and the broader implications for community safety and constitutional rights.

Darius Chappell was from Clarksville, Tennessee, and Tyrin Johnson was from Memphis, Tennessee. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the two men’s deaths underscore systemic failures in local law enforcement and National Guard operations. "The Department of Justice cannot continue to stand by while Black lives are taken," Johnson said. He added, "The DOJ has a fundamental responsibility to support, protect, and defend the United States Constitution — and let me be entirely clear: that Constitution includes the rights, the safety, and the futures of Black Americans."

The NAACP’s letter also referenced a prior Department of Justice action: in May 2025, the DOJ retracted a report that had outlined systemic problems in the Memphis Police Department. Johnson emphasized the federal government’s duty when local authorities fall short. "When officers fail to deliver equal protection under the law, the federal government must step in with its investigative authority," he said.

Johnson outlined specific demands in the NAACP’s communication. "We demand a thorough, transparent federal investigation," he said. "We demand accountability." He stressed that the organization would ensure the victims are not forgotten: "We will not allow the names of Darius Chappell and Tyrin Johnson to be overlooked."

The NAACP also called for the immediate suspension of National Guard activity in Memphis, linking the demand to findings from a recent community survey it conducted. According to that survey, 63 percent of Memphis residents strongly disapproved of the National Guard’s deployment in their communities, and 54 percent said the presence undermined their sense of safety and trust. "We demand immediate suspension of National Guard activity in Memphis, and we will fight until justice is served," he said.