Transsexual Victim of Police Beating Found Murdered

From: MyFox Memphis

Last Edited: Monday, 10 Nov 2008, 4:08 PM CST
Created: Monday, 10 Nov 2008, 4:08 PM CST

By Amy Cowman MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WHBQ FOX13 myfoxmemphis.com) -- Police are searching for suspects in a North Memphis overnight shooting. The shooting happened at Hollywood and Staten. FOX13 has learned that the victim was transsexual Duanna Johnson. Two Memphis police officers were fired earlier this year after surveillance video showed them beating Johnson inside the Shelby County Jail. Johnson's attorney confirmed she was shot in the head and killed Sunday night. Her attorney said ever since the jail beating incident occurred, they've tried to move her to Chicago with family and she was finally going to go this week. "It was real vicious," Johnson said in June. "I felt like an animal getting beaten." Back in June, Johnson described being beaten inside the Shelby County Jail by two Memphis police officers. Both officers were fired after the incident was caught on surveillance tape. Johnson said it happened after she wouldn't respond to derogatory remarks by officer Bridges McRae. "As he was calling me, he said 'Hey he-she, come over here,'" said Johnson. "I knew he couldn't be talking to me because that's not my name." After suffering that brutal beating in February, Johnson's life came to a brutal end. Police said she was shot in the head Sunday night at the corner of Hollywood and Staten. Attorney Arthur Horne said they've been trying to get Johnson's life back on track. She had been arrested for prostitution and drugs, but Horne said she wanted help. "I think it was difficult for her to be her, to find a job, to find her way with her lifestyle," he said. Horne said he had been trying to convince her to move back to Chicago with her family and she finally agreed to go this week. "We hoped and prayed that nothing bad would ever come of Duanna, but we always felt that Memphis wasn't the best place for Duanna with everything that had gone on here," he said. Patrick Jones owns Eye Catchers, a salon at Hollywood and Staten. He said he was shocked to hear Johnson had been shot, but it wasn't unusual to see her hanging out in the area. "I see the guy on a regular basis," said Jones. "I've never had any problems with him." Now Horne said he and his partner won't let Johnson's death stop their fight for justice. "I think it touched a lot of people across racial lines, across sexual lines, across sexual orientation lines because what happened to her was tragic," he said. Horne said they still expect criminal charges to be brought against McRae. He said his law firm, along with Johnson's mother, will still file a civil suit if the city and Memphis police don't come to a settlement agreement with them.

Duanna Johnson grew national attention after being assaulted by local police officers over the summer. Two cops were eventually fired for beating Duanna. Even after her death, Johnson's attorney says he still expects one of those cops, officer Bridges McRae, to face criminal charges. A local group also formed to monitor Memphis police officers in such situations.