Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice | Official Website
Patric J. Ferguson, a former officer with the Memphis Police Department, has been sentenced to 38 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the fatal shooting of a man identified as R.H. The sentencing was announced by officials from the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to documents filed in connection with his plea, Ferguson kidnapped and fatally shot R.H. on January 5, 2021, while he was on duty as a police officer. He then conspired with co-defendant Joshua M. Rogers to conceal the crime by disposing of R.H.'s body in the Wolf River in Memphis and later selling the vehicle used in the crime to a scrap metal company.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated, “This defendant committed a premeditated murder while using his position as a police officer, not to protect the Memphis community, but to perpetrate this horrendous crime and shield himself from suspicion and liability. While no prison sentence can undo the defendant’s heartless crimes, today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable and sends a clear message that no one is above the law. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who violate the rights of the people they are sworn to protect.”
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee said, “This sentence reenforces that violating an individual’s constitutional rights will not be tolerated. This defendant tarnished his badge and undermined this community’s faith in law enforcement. Our office remains committed to protecting our communities from any and all abuses of power.”
Joshua M. Rogers pleaded guilty on May 8 to obstruction charges related to covering up Ferguson's actions and is scheduled for sentencing on December 17.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Nashville Field Office and the Memphis Police Department. Prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Hartridge for the Western District of Tennessee along with Trial Attorneys Tenette Smith and Sarah Armstrong from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
