About Us Justice Process Victim/Witness Services Expungement Media/Public Information Contact Nuisance Order Hits Peppertree Apartments Nov. 23, 2021 – A public nuisance petition has been granted which bans any new leases at the Peppertree Apartments in Whitehaven where police have responded to more than 1,500 calls for service over the past 20 months, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. A temporary injunction halts any new business at the long-troubled complex, and its owners, TESCO Properties, Inc., of Germantown, now must tell a court why the injunction should not be made permanent. The announcement was made Tuesday at a news conference that included DA Weirich, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, and Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis. A hearing is set for 9 a.m. Monday Nov. 29 before General Sessions 14/Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge. According to the petition, the Peppertree property is the site of active drug trafficking and numerous crimes of violence involving tenants and non-tenants, creating “a dangerous and violent atmosphere that poses a clear danger to the tenants and surrounding community at large.” The apartments at 4243 Graceland Drive are across the street from Whitehaven Park and Hillcrest High School, and are less than a half-mile from Creative Scholars Academy. The federally subsidized Peppertree property was built in 1972 and has 306 living units with approximately 1,000 residents. More than 90 percent of the listed tenants are women and children. In a 2006 nuisance action against the Peppertree, the court ordered safety measures such as decals for vehicles lawfully on the property, towing of unauthorized vehicles, an electronic gate system, improved lighting, and security guards. In addition, Peppertree entered the Safeways program, a collaborative effort of law enforcement and property managers. Peppertree, however, no longer is a part of the program, apparently due to a failure to pay dues. The new petition follows an investigation by the Memphis Police Department and the Multi-Agency Gang Unit showing that between March 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2021, police responded to 1,649 calls for service at Peppertree. Those calls included 120 for shootings, 216 involving guns, 40 for fights, 20 involving large gatherings of people, eight for drugs, eight for gambling, and six for robberies. Also at the Peppertree property, MPD has documented 15 people shot, including two homicides; 53 aggravated assaults; and 25 felony weapons offenses. A fire that damaged or destroyed 10 units in September was ruled arson. Over the past six years, an MPD officer who lives nearby has called more than 100 times to report shots fired at the complex. Police said one resident described the property as “a war zone,” another reported bullets piercing his car windshield and head rest, and a resident of a nearby senior living facility said residents often sleep on the floor to avoid being hit by stray bullets. The nuisance petition was filed by DA Weirich, Asst. Dist. Atty. Paul Hagerman, and Asst. City Atty. Will Gibbons. NOVEMBER 23, 2021 NEXT Caregiver Convicted of Elder Abuse Get the latest updates from the Shelby County District Attorney Shelby County District Attorney 201 Poplar Avenue, 11th Floor Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: 901-222-1300 Email: info@scdag.com Website Design by CPMG