Two Memphis police officers accused of stealing drugs, money during traffic stops

Two Memphis police officers were arrested Friday and charged with stealing drugs and money from drug dealers during traffic stops.

Terrion Bryson, 25, and Kevin Coleman, 40, were charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, distribute or sell heroin, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and criminal attempt felony to manufacture, distribute or sell heroin.

They were booked in the Shelby County Jail on Friday morning.

According to police, MPD's Organized Crime Unit investigators and the FBI's Tarnished Blue unit received information in February accusing the two officers of stealing drugs and money during traffic stops.

The arrests come in the same week that a federal judge sentenced a former Shelby County Sheriff's deputy, Jeremy Drewery, to more than five years in prison for charges including extorting money from a drug dealer.

Duo caught in sting operation

Earlier this month, a sting operation was set up and police said the duo are accused of stealing money during two traffic stops from an undercover officer posing as a drug dealer, according to the arrest affidavit.

Bryson then contacted the undercover officer again on April 11 about him and Coleman protecting 2.5 kilograms of heroin they were told by the undercover officer was coming into the city, according to the affidavit.

The duo demanded $9,000 from the undercover officer to protect the drugs "from being seized by legitimate law enforcement activities," according to the affidavit.

"During this negotiation, Coleman, while on duty as a Memphis police officer threatened physical harm to the UC's (undercover officer's) family if the arrangement was a setup," according to the affidavit.

On April 12, the officers were given $4,000 as partial payment to protect what they thought was a large heroin shipment. The money was left in a vehicle in the parking lot of Walmart on Austin Peay, police said.

Later that day, the defendants met with the undercover officer at a storage unit on Millbranch and were given an additional $5,000.

They were arrested in the 1600 block of Raines in the middle of a meeting in the parking lot of a strip mall, police said. Police said they recovered the $5,000 cash from Bryson's vehicle. Both officers were also armed with loaded guns.

Bryson and Colemen admitted to police that they conspired to take money to protect heroin, according to arrest records.

The officers will be in court Monday for an arraignment on the charges.

Coleman has worked with the Memphis police department since June 2012. Bryson has been an officer since August 2015, according to a post on MPD's Facebook page.

Both officers were assigned to the Raines Station precinct and have been relieved of duty pending the ongoing investigation.

"We recognized that two of our own were possibly involved with criminal activity and we investigated," Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings said in a statement posted on Facebook. "We do not care what your profession is, and we do not care who you are; if you break the law and you are involved in illegal activity, we will stop you."