I have worked as a journalist in Memphis for the last 17 years.
On Aug. 20, 2018, I discovered that the @MEM_PoliceDept was spying on me.
I’ve never been a victim of police brutality, but my interactions with police have not inspired confidence..
On Aug. 20, 2018, I discovered that the @MEM_PoliceDept was spying on me.
I’ve never been a victim of police brutality, but my interactions with police have not inspired confidence..
I covered demonstrations that followed Darrius Stewart’s death by police in 2015. I posted my interview with the teen’s father on Insta.
A few days later, a cousin wanted to take a quick tour through downtown Memphis. It was dark and rainy. He’s black w/ long locks and a beard.
A few days later, a cousin wanted to take a quick tour through downtown Memphis. It was dark and rainy. He’s black w/ long locks and a beard.
I wanted to be a good host, but before I left the house, I tweeted my hesitation:
I was thinking about what happened to Sandra Bland 2 weeks earlier, and what had happened to Stewart, who had been shot to death by police after a traffic stop the same month. (They were black.)
Then flashing lights filled my rearview mirror. I pulled over, heart pounding.
Then flashing lights filled my rearview mirror. I pulled over, heart pounding.
The officer, who was black, asked for my license. I handed it to him and asked why I’d been stopped.
He said my driver’s side headlight was out, but when he leaned over to tap it, he said it was back on.
“I’m not trying to be Sandra Bland tonight,” I told the officer.
He said my driver’s side headlight was out, but when he leaned over to tap it, he said it was back on.
“I’m not trying to be Sandra Bland tonight,” I told the officer.
“Ms. Wendi Thomas,” he said, reading my license. Maybe he recognized my byline. I offered to show him what I had just tweeted but he declined. “Your headlights are working now,” he said. “You be safe, OK?”
“Yeah, but what happens when somebody else pulls me over?” I asked.
“Yeah, but what happens when somebody else pulls me over?” I asked.
Here’s a video I took of the encounter - you can’t see anything but you can hear our voices over the windshield wipers. (Sorry for the profanity, Mom.)
I now wonder if the police had been following me. The police department did not answer questions for this story.
I now wonder if the police had been following me. The police department did not answer questions for this story.
But at the time, I was paralyzed by fear and wanted to avoid being pulled over again.
I took side streets home.
I took side streets home.
I know what it’s like when the police are following you. When I learned that they’d been spying on me, I filed records requests for everything.
There’s a long shameful history of police spying, and a long shameful history of journalism uncritically repeating police narratives.
I want to change both. Read my story here: propublica.org/article/the-po…
I want to change both. Read my story here: propublica.org/article/the-po…
I’m building @MLK50Memphis, a new kind of newsroom. You can donate here: donatenow.networkforgood.org/mlk50
You can keep up with @propublica's work here: go.propublica.org/bigstory-social
Grateful to @charlesornstein @karimdoumar @mayaeliahou and the rest of the ProPublica crew for believing this story was worth telling.
