Memphis police officer fired over beating of transgendered suspect

Memphis police officer fired over beating of transgendered suspect
Woman's lawyer wants sensitivity training for department

By Cindy Wolff (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A Memphis Police officer caught on videotape beating a transgendered
suspect was fired Wednesday after an administrative hearing.

The beating happened Feb.12 after officer Bridges McRae, 28, arrested
Duanna Johnson on charges of prostitution. Another officer, James
McSwain, was a new employee still on probation and was fired shortly
after the beating

Murray Wells, one of Johnson's attorneys, said Wednesday that McRae's
firing was inevitable and long overdue.

"It's highly coincidental that within a week of this becoming public
that the officer is terminated," said Wells.

But Police Director Larry Godwin said that the hearing had been
scheduled a month ago, before the incident became public. McRae had
been on desk duty since the incident.

Wells wants to negotiate a settlement with the city rather than file a
lawsuit.

"If we file a lawsuit, then the only thing we can get is money," Wells
said. "We want officers to have sensitivity training and for the city
to create a hate-crime law."

Johnson, 42, said she was happy and relieved that McRae was fired.

"This should have happened a while ago," Johnson said. "The taxpayers
have been paying this officer's salary while he's on desk duty."

Godwin said Wednesday night that McRae got a fair hearing and that the
police department "will continue to investigate all allegations of
misconduct."

He also noted that McRae has a right to appeal his termination.
McRae's attorney said an appeal is likely.

"I don't know that he's made his decision yet," said Ted Hansom. "He's
got 10 days. As a practical matter, 99 out of 100 of these are
automatically appealed."

Surveillance video of the beating, which has no audio, shows McRae say
something to Johnson, who is sitting at the end of a row of chairs.

Johnson said McRae called her a "he/she" and told her to come over for
fingerprinting. When Johnson didn't respond, she said, McRae cursed
her and called her a derogatory name for a homosexual.

She said Johnson put on his glove, slipped his handcuff on his
knuckles and hit her in the face and head.

Johnson stood up at one point and tried to fight McRae off. Johnson,
who is 6-foot-5, said she then sat back down because she didn't want
McRae to see her as a threat.

McRae then pulled Johnson's head back and squirted pepper spray in her
eyes.

The incident became public after Johnson's attorneys released a
videotape of the beating to the news media.

Godwin said he was angry over the incident and sickened by it. He
called the FBI to investigate whether Johnson's civil rights were
violated.

Johnson feels lucky that there was a videotape of the incident because
it proved what she said.

"If there hadn't been a videotape, it would have been my word against
his, and who would have believed me?" Johnson said.

-- Cindy Wolff: 529-2378