Civil rights attorney Ben Crump criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for withdrawing from police-accountability agreements with the Minneapolis and Louisville police departments, which were agreements established after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Crump also expressed outrage at the DOJ’s decision to end its investigation into the Memphis Police Department and retract findings of constitutional violations, despite public outcry following the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. Crump called the move a “step backward” in the fight for justice and police reform, warning it undermines trust in the legal system and accountability for law enforcement.
Attorney Ben Crump released the following statement:
“Just days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder — a moment that galvanized a global movement for justice — the U.S. Department of Justice has chosen to turn its back on the very communities it pledged to protect. By walking away from consent decrees in Minneapolis and Louisville, and closing its investigation into the Memphis Police Department while retracting findings of serious constitutional violations, the DOJ is not just rolling back reform, it is attempting to erase truth and contradicting the very principles for which justice stands.
“This decision is a slap in the face to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tyre Nichols, and to every community that has endured the trauma of police violence and the false promises of accountability. These consent decrees and investigations were not symbolic gestures, they were lifelines for communities crying out for change, rooted in years of organizing, suffering, and advocacy.
“These moves will only deepen the divide between law enforcement and the people they are sworn to protect and serve. Trust is built with transparency and accountability, not with denial and retreat.
“But let me be clear: We will not give up. This movement will not be swayed or deterred by fickle politics. It is anchored in the irrefutable truth that Black lives matter, and that justice should not depend on who is in power.
“We will continue to fight for the reforms we know are necessary. For federal oversight that holds police departments accountable. For an end to the brutalization of our communities. For a future where justice is not an exception, but the rule.”