MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Activist Devante Hill is in jail, arrested by Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies on outstanding warrants for violating his probation.
The warrants were issued on March 4th. Two weeks before, Hill quizzed potential candidates for Memphis police director with other city leaders picked by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
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Hill has the support of Strickland who called him “a representative of a diverse Memphis community.”
FOX13 is still asking when did Strickland find out about the outstanding warrants against one of the people he selected to help chose the next police chief.
Community activist Theryn C. Bond, who has criticized Hill in person and online as an interloper in the ongoing struggle for economic justice and police reform, wonders why it took authorities three weeks to find Hill.
“No one wants to see any black person arrested. However, we want to understand as citizens that there are equitable policing, equitable justice despite your proximity to the mayor,” said Bond.
Bond is referring to the praise Strickland showered on Hill after he led peaceful protests during the hot summer of racial reckoning.
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In a statement through his communications director, Strickland said:
“Devante Hill was selected to be a part of the interview panel for a new police director for his experience as a community activist who has led several peaceful protests over the past five years. He is representative of a diverse Memphis community. Similarly, the news outlets in Memphis have interviewed Mr. Hill as a credible source for his experiences as a community activist multiple times. His probation violation is minor, and does not impact his value as a panelist.”
Memphis Attorney Art Horn is Hill’s attorney and told FOX13, “I think Mr. Hill is an asset to be on this panel, and I think he represents a large part of Memphis.”
The Tennessee Department of Correction issued the warrant because it said Hill failed to keep in touch with his probation officer and failed a drug test.
Horn said Hill has told him he was in contact with the Shelby County probation office and believed that was enough. As for the allegations of a failed drug test, Hill gave FOX13 a document showing the state had closed their investigation into alleged drug use in February.
Horn told FOX 13 he can’t explain why it took deputies so long to serve Hill with warrants but when Hill found out he contacted him.
Horn said, “I was actually in route to 201 when I found out I got the news that he had been picked up.”
Horn said he and Hill have a court hearing Thursday to resolve the matter. If the court believes, Hill violated his probation, it could mean tougher restrictions against him.
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