The Memphis Fire Department shares in the responsibility for the murder of Taffie Crawford at the hands of her ex-boyfriend
Frank Graham because officials had been made aware of a threat by Graham to kill the nurse and another firefighter that Graham assumed was involved with the nurse that he killed on her way to work Friday morning at the Delta Medical Center.
I was contacted by a ranking fire department official who wants to make sure the city does not cover up the facts behind this tragic event. According to the fire department source on last week Graham went to
station# 33 which is the station located at the airport to confront fellow firefighter
Keon Pickford about Crawford.
Graham who had been stalking Crawford argue with Pickford at the station and told him
"I'm going to kill you and that bitch". Pickford fearing for his life wrote a letter that is called redlining to
Air Crash Chief Johnathan M. Weeks. In the red line letter he reported that Graham had threaten to kill him and
Taffi Crawford. But instead of calling the police or passing the letter on to higher ranking fire officials Weeks set on the letter never reporting the incident.
It is possible that had Weeks turned the letter over to the police or other fire department officials Taffi Crawford may still be alive. The threat to do bodily harm would have been enough to get him off the streets, the question remains why didn't Weeks act upon the letter.
There have been many reports of incidents with firefighters lately with many not being acted upon by fire officials. It's even thought that police believe that firefighters are part of a brotherhood and turn their eyes to acts of violence by the firefighters.
Several weeks ago a young lady was a guest on my radio show that had been living with a firefighter for several years. She stated how
Clifton Griffin who happens to work at station #2 which is the same station that Graham worked out of had attacked her. pulled a gun on her, and force her out of the house they shared. When the police arrived several months ago at their home even with bruises on her face and neck she was the one taken to jail. the woman stated that Griffin stated to her that he was a fireman and the police was not going to do anything to him.
Clifton Griffin has a history of domestic violence, The woman supplied me with a copy of a police report that showed that Griffin had punched and drugged a former live in girlfriend. In fact the woman
Latonia Campbell is a firefighter and the report also shows that Griffin punched her then 14 year old son when the son came to his mother's aide while being assaulted by Griffin.
The source at the fire department speaks of other firefighter who have committed acts of violence. I'm told that
Maurice Jones out of
station #37 was fired last week for pistol whipping a youth in his yard. I'm told that
Jerry Holmes at
station #38 whipped a man with a hammer,
Marcus Riley at
station #55 was accused of raping his wife's sister,
Johnnie b. Harrison at
station #6 beat his wife, and a
Lt. Joseph Short was fired for domestic violence. It's also reported that on Monday at
station #33 a
Lt. Busby and a Lt. Scott Miller got to fighting and had to be parted and sent to other stations.
It seems as though there are some serious problems with firefighters I wonder if mayor Wharton will look as hard at this matter of firefighters abusing women as he has city employees abusing dogs?
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