The New Tri-State Defender — September 27, 2018

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Brianna A. Smith reviews the hottest concert going, Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s On the Run II Tour. Lifestyle & Culture, Page 6

Tiger Woods: The epitome of defiance. Perspective, Page 4

VOL. 67, No. 39

September 27 - October 3, 2018

www.tsdmemphis.com

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MPD names officers in police shooting case by John Semien Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Bill Cosby (Photo: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections)

Now it’s public. The names of the three police officers suspended in the aftermath of the shooting of Martavious Banks have been released by the Memphis Police Department. Officer Jamarcus Jeames, 26, “fired shots” at Banks after being involved in the initial traffic stop. Christopher Nowell, 27, was involved in the initial traffic stop and made the scene after the shooting. Michael R. Williams II, 27, also was involved in the initial traffic stop and made the scene after the shooting. Banks, 25, still was listed in critical condition at Regional One Health on Wednesday. He was shot on the evening of Sept. 17 after driving away from the scene of an initial traffic stop at Gill and Pillow in South Memphis and fleeing on foot after he was stopped nearby a second time. Police reported seeing a gun in the car Banks was driving and have said one was found near where he later was shot. All three policemen were assigned to the Airways Station. Jeames was hired in March of 2017. Nowell was hired in September of 2014 and Williams was hired in August of 2015. Williams is related to Memphis Police Association President Michael Williams; MPA Vice President Essica Cage now is handling the union’s representation. She had not returned calls to MPA headquarters by the TSD’s print deadline Wednesday. Cage has said in a video posted on the police union’s Facebook page that

Bill Cosby behind bars: Appeal looming, lawsuits pending by Michael R. Sisak and Maryclaire Dale Associated Press

Pain and protest… Janice Banks (right), the mother of 25-year-old Martavious Banks, who was shot by a Memphis Police Department officer on the evening of Sept 17, shares a supportive embrace during a protest outside of Memphis Police Association headquarters at 638 Jefferson Ave. on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Martavious Banks still was in critical condition at Regional One Health. (Photos: Johnathan T. Martin)

SEE OFFICERS ON PAGE 8

Their famous client behind bars, Bill Cosby’s legal team is readying a long-shot bid to get his sexual assault conviction overturned. They’re also fighting civil lawsuits filed by some accusers that threaten to drain his vast fortune. The 81-year-old Cosby’s lawyers gave glimpses of their expected appeal as his April retrial crashed toward a conviction. They were dismayed by Judge Steven O’Neill’s weighty decision to let five additional accusers testify and moved for a mistrial when one of the women called Cosby a “serial rapist” from the stand. Cosby’s lawyers again demanded a mistrial when a prosecutor suggested they were wrong to help a star defense witness write a statement outlining how she said Andrea Constand, the woman Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting, mused about fram-

SEE COSBY ON PAGE 3

GRITGRINDGRIZZ

Call me crazy, but maybe it’s time for Hubieball 2.0 Grizzlies greatest weapon may be perimeter depth by Lee Eric Smith lesmith@TSDmemphis.com

The Grizzlies have made no secret that the franchise intends to buck the trend in today’s run-and-gun, bombs away NBA. They intend to reinvent “Grit ‘n’ Grind” for today’s style of play — which presumably means they intend to be a physical squad that plays elite-level team defense. “It’s going to take a mindset,” Mike Conley said Monday at Media Day. “If we believe we can be that good defensively, we can be. “We’ve been talking a lot about creating havoc defensively – using our long arms, getting in the passing lanes,” Conley continued. “That’s what we’re going to try to re-create. Everyone

(on this team) has a defensive mindset and that’s what makes us special already.” That’s all well and good. But the NBA isn’t slowing the game down or shooting less threes. Any elite defense will need to involve defending at a fast Lee Eric pace and chasing more Smith shooters than ever off the arc. Furthermore, with so many NBA teams using switches to create mismatches (think Con-

SEE GRIZ ON PAGE 2

The Grizzlies are chock full of fresh faces this season – none fresher than 19-yearold rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. The No. 4 overall pick was dazzling in Summer League play, but can he shine in the regular season? (Photo: Lee Eric Smith)


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