Man sues city of Memphis and police officers for wrongful conviction in music club robbery

Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A man who spent more than 20 years behind bars before he was exonerated of robbing a Memphis music club is suing the city and 10 police officers, alleging they made up evidence that led to his wrongful conviction and a lengthy prison sentence. The lawsuit filed Dec. 12 by Artis Whitehead says Memphis Police Department officers fabricated evidence that led to charges of armed robbery and kidnapping in the 2002 robbery of B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. Whitehead, who is Black, was tried, convicted and sentenced in 2003 to 249 years in prison. But his conviction and sentence were thrown out in December 2023 and he was released from prison.