Memphis Police Chief Assigned To Investigate Tyre Nichols Murder Was Previously Fired By Atlanta Police Department After Dismissing Child Porn Allegations

The Memphis police chief spearheading the investigation of Tyre Nichols’ death was previously fired from her position with the Atlanta Police Department.

The APD fired Cerelyn ‘CJ’ Davis, who was deputy chief, in 2008 for her role in the botched investigation of Sergeant Tonya Crane’s husband, Terrill Marion Crane, the Daily Mail reported.

Crane was later found guilty. 

Two detectives working the case claim Davis urged them not to look into the allegations against Crane even though the unit received pictures of him posing with underage middle school girls.

Once the FBI took over the case, Crane pled guilty to one count of producing child pornography. He received a ten-year sentence in prison.

Davis took heat for taking a ‘blind eye’ to the child porn allegations. Somehow, she still moved on to become Memphis’ first black female chief in Memphis in 2021.

Crane’s wife was working with Davis and admitted to ‘finding and burning’ some of the child porn photographs made by her husband.

Davis was eventually demoted from major to lieutenant following an investigation and fired from the force.

However, she was reinstated after challenging the city’s Civil Service Board. But in 2016, she decided to retire from the Atlanta force.

Davis has now once again come under scrutiny following the actions of the five officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols.