Memphis hotel shut down, declared nuisance after MPD received 'nearly 800' calls, DA says

Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal

Thu, October 24, 2024 at 5:02 AM GMT+7·2 min read

The Memphis Extended Stay Hotel has been declared a public nuisance and has been closed down, the Shelby County District Attorney’s office said in a press release Wednesday.

The hotel, located at 4300 American Way, was the site of at least three homicides, according to the DA’s office, and the scene for “nearly 800 disturbance calls between August 13, 2022 and September 3, 2024.”

“This closure sends a clear message that we will not tolerate properties that harbor criminal activity and threaten the safety of our community,” Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy said in the statement. “We are committed to working alongside law enforcement to ensure that dangerous establishments are held accountable.”

The closure is the latest in a string of public nuisance properties that the DA’s office has targeted in an effort to disrupt crime. The effort targets businesses, vacant properties and homes where multiple crimes have been reported and seeks to have them closed and remediated.

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The DA’s office issued a public nuisance warning in mid-August this year to a nightclub that was the scene of a double homicide.

According to the DA’s office, the Memphis Extended Stay Hotel had multiple reported overdoses, armed robberies and aggravated assaults. CrimeStoppers tips in August also alleged that narcotics were being sold in several rooms. Some tips alleged employees were involved.

“Thanks to the MPD’s diligent investigation, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office was able to present the case before a judge, who ruled the hotel a public nuisance,” the statement read. “Several arrests were made during the closure, and a significant quantity of drugs was confiscated. The exact details and amounts of the seized substances will be made available pending completion of forensic testing.”

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Extended Stay Hotel on Airways closed by Shelby County DA’s office