The 901: Memphis needs time to heal after riot, not more partisanship

Good morning from Memphis, which is celebrating former (*sniffle*) Grizzlies player Marc Gasol winning his NBA Championship ring last night. But first...

Let's play catch-up.

On Wednesday night in the Frayser neighborhood of Memphis, U.S. Marshals Service officers shot and killed 20-year-old Brandon Webber — a suspect with multiple warrants related to a June 3 shooting and car-jacking in Hernando, Mississippi — as he attempted to evade arrest. Afterward, as a crowd gathered, Memphis police and Shelby County deputies donned riot gear. The crowd began to throw rocks and smash squad car windows, lightly injuring 35 officers, six of whom were transported to the hospital, the worst with a broken shoulder. That's the official narrative from law enforcement.

If you're looking for that one, big follow-up story to what happened Wednesday night, our Corinne Kennedy, Phillip Jackson and Mariah Timms have you covered here.

We've heard the official narrative — but, of course, the full story is much more personal. To get a fuller picture of the tragedy, check out these need-to-read stories:

• Webber wasn't just a suspect — he was also a "gentle and goofy" father and a graduate of Central High, our Desiree Stennett reports.
• Our Phillip Jackson, who was at the scene Wednesday night, sketches the toll this shooting and others have taken on Memphis neighborhoods.
• Speaking of the impact on neighborhoods, our Corinne Kennedy looks at how the demographics of Frayser have changed over the years.
• For context, this is the fourth officer-involved shooting in Memphis this year.

As I wrote yesterday, the tragedy is quickly becoming politicized. Various lawmakers spoke out yesterday about the shooting and clash between protesters and officers, including Republican U.S. Sen Marsha Blackburn, who made an unfortunate mistake. Even though she claimed to be "closely following the situation," her statement said she was praying for the "family of the fallen officer" — even though no officers were killed. She also mentioned the injured officers but made no reference to Webber or his family.

Blackburn later, on the second attempt, correctly corrected her statement — although she still described what happened as "Memphis riots." It was just the one, and some activists aren't even comfortable with describing what happened as a "riot" at all.

Blackburn's statement was revealing in a number of ways, but especially because her condolences only extended to the officers. In a nation already deeply divided over protests — even peaceful ones, like professional football players taking a knee during the national anthem — Blackburn's statement reinforces the partisan divide.

The same could be said of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, who yesterday denied that Memphis officers could have done anything to prevent the riot. His initial statement, like Blackburn's, didn't mourn the loss of life. Maybe the taking of that life was necessary, but even so, the goal of elected officials should be to heal a community shaken by violence.

And healing requires mourning — for both the dead and the grief-stricken living.

What Memphis needs now isn't partisanship, whether from law-and-order politicians or police-wary activists. What Memphis needs to hear is that every life will be valued and protected equally, whether that life belongs to a police officer, an activist or a person accused of life-threatening crimes. That violence can be necessary but is never normal.

In other words, Memphians need to hear that grace, not death, reigns in Memphis.

Speaking of the Webber shooting: The New Tri-State Defender has more community reaction here.

Marc Gasol, Raptors win the big one

Marc Gasol, the former Memphis Grizzlies center who was traded to the Toronto Raptors earlier this year, finally has his championship ring, our David Cobb reports.

Gasol and the Raptors won 114-110 versus the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last night, giving the NBA franchise and Gasol their very first championship.

As David points out, Gasol hasn't forgotten about the city he left behind:

Afterward, ESPN's Doris Burke asked Gasol what his message is to the "brethren" he left behind in Memphis at the trade deadline.

"Thank you," Gasol said. "Thank you guys for making me the man and the player that I am. I'll be thankful forever."

And the city Gasol left behind hasn't forgotten about him either:

Gasol isn't resting on his laurels, though. He's already looking forward to next season:

"I would never imagine this," Gasol said in his interview with Burke. "It's the hardest thing I've ever done. It's awesome. So many people to thank. It's great. Now it's time to celebrate with another one."

Speaking of Gasol: Our sports columnist, Mark Giannotto, writes here about watching Gasol win the Finals with his former coaches from Lausanne. Keep tissues handy.

Republican launches bid for Coley's seat

Republican John Gillespie, the Trezevant Manor retirement community's grants coordinator, yesterday announced his bid for the seat of retiring Rep. Jim Coley.

Gillespie, who will seek the House District 97 seat in 2020, is the first to announce his candidacy since Coley, a Republican from Bartlett, announced he had been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia. Coley's Democratic challenger last year, Allan Creasy, is also expected to enter the race, although he hasn't made any announcement.

Interestingly, Coley was quoted in Gillespie's announcement as saying that the General Assembly needs more lawmakers with the former banker's "knowledge of budgeting and finance." That Coley isn't formally endorsing the Gillespie, who helped manage former Shelby County mayor Mark Luttrell's successful 2010 campaign, could indicate that more Republicans are considering jumping into the race.

Gillespie said in his statement that he was a fiscal conservative, anti-abortion, and a member of the National Rifle Association. He also indicated that he would continue Coley's emphasis on public education in addition to focusing on economic development.

What was once a solidly Republican district has become a target for Democrats in recent years as left-leaning Memphis move into the suburbs. Although he hasn't announced a bid for the seat, Creasy's voicemail says he's a "candidate for state House District 97." It could be that he just hasn't changed his voicemail in a while, but still.

What to know and read in the 901

• Mark your calendar: The three-day Juneteenth Urban Music Festival begins today, reports The New Tri-State Defender.
• Details are scant, but a train derailed in Germantown after hitting a garbage truck, sending the driver to the hospital in critical condition, our Dima Amro reports.
• About 200 people rallied at the University of Memphis yesterday in favor of a $15 minimum wage, The Daily Memphian reports.
• If your feelings are still raw over Sushi Jimmi closing, don't worry: The East Memphis restaurant will reopen June 15 with a new owner, the Memphis Flyer reports.

The Fadeout

Memphis artist Julien Baker yesterday re-released her "Red Door," along with another song, "Conversation Piece." Since the latter isn't on YouTube yet, we'll fade out this morning with the former:

Like The Fadeout? The 9:01's Spotify playlist has all the Fadeouts featuring local artists.

Columnist Ryan Poe writes The 9:01, a running commentary on all things Memphis. Reach him at poe@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @ryanpoe.

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