Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Monday, November 16, 2009 2:46 pm

State NAACP President Gloria Sweet-Love announces the Department of Justice will hear complaints about excessive force and police misconduct. Surrounding her are ministers, a Hispanic leader and NAACP members.

Questions surrounding the death of an 18-year-old jail inmate prompted a civil rights group and a church to ask for a federal Department of Justice investigation.

Inmate Andron Reed of Memphis died Aug. 15 at Middle Tennessee Medical Center after being booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center the previous day on multiple charges after a high-speed pursuit and struggle with state troopers.

State President Gloria J. Sweet-Love of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said she was concerned about the death of Reed, a healthy young man with no signs of epilepsy or other medical problems. NAACP and the Missionary Baptist State Convention asked for the Justice Department investigation.

The groups will sponsor a community meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Allen Chapel M.B. Church at 224 S. Maney Ave. in Murfreesboro to hear complaints by “all people of color” about misconduct of law enforcement officers and excessive use of force, she said.

As the mother of four sons, Sweet-Love said she was concerned about Reed and other young men. Reed is not the only case involving complaints about excessive use of force by law enforcement.

“That was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Sweet-Love said.

Sheriff’s spokesman Dan Goodwin referred inquiries to the TBI and the state medical examiner’s office who ruled Reed’s “was caused by a congenital heart defect.”

An autopsy by Dr. Amy McMaster of the state medical examiner’s office found Reed died of natural causes due to an abnormal growth inside the wall of the arteries.

“He was not beaten to death,” McMaster said.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents are investigating Reed’s death. TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said the case is still ongoing.

During the press conference, Sweet-Love said she wants the Department of Justice to do arbitrations and mediations.

“We want the entire process to be transparent,” Sweet-Love said.

During the meeting, complaints will be taken about law enforcement officers in the city and county.

“We want every citizen in this county to be safe,” Sweet-Love said, adding she wanted people who are stopped by officers to be treated with dignity and respect.

After the press conference, the Rev. James Thomas, pastor of Jefferson Street Baptist Church in Nashville, and chairman of the Social Action Committee of the Missionary Baptist Association of Tennessee, said the group didn’t want to belittle law enforcement.

“We just want fair treatment in the community,” the Rev. Thomas said.

President Goldy Wade of the Murfreesboro NAACP chapter said the concerns are “so great we wanted the public to come in and share their concerns.”

Missionary Baptist State Convention received complaints along with the state NAACP, he said.

Tommy Vallejos of the Hispanic Organization for Progress and Education joined the NAACP at the press conference.

“We are all united and concerned about issues,” Wade said.

The Rev. Richard Siebert said NAACP has tried to meet and discuss issues with the sheriff’s office but heard through the Department of Justice the sheriff’s office will not respond.

“We’re very concerned about that,” the Rev. Siebert said. “I hope that it will bring awareness here to people other than ourselves what has happened here” to Reed and to make the sheriff’s office and law enforcement aware of issues. Police brutality is escalating.

“We want police to arrest thugs, we don’t want police acting like thugs,” the Rev. Siebert said.