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Representative Pearson raises concerns about police use of force at weekend Memphis protest
Summary
Rep. Pearson used personal orders to recognize thousands of protesters and said videos circulating show Memphis police using pepper spray against constituents; she urged accountability from the mayor and police chief.
Representative Pearson, a member of the Private Acts Committee, used personal orders at the March 30 hearing to recognize constituents who took part in a large weekend protest and to raise concerns about police conduct.
"We are seeing people who are paid with tax dollars attacking our own citizens and constituents," Pearson said, referencing video circulating on social media that she said shows officers deploying pepper spray as the march ended. She described the gathering as "a great gathering against tyranny, against authoritarianism," and said the forceful response at the end of the protest warrants accountability from the mayor and the police chief.
Committee chair (speaker 1) acknowledged the personal order but moved the agenda forward after the recognition; no formal committee action was taken on the issue during the meeting. The remarks were recorded during the personal-orders portion of the committee's opening business and were not followed by a formal motion or referral.
The statement was presented as a personal recognition and call for accountability rather than as a committee finding; Representative Pearson asked that the mayor and police chief be held to account and identified videos of the incident as the basis for her concern.
