Ryan Poe

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

The city of Memphis made public late Friday a list of people who require police escorts in City Hall, including many prominent political activists in the Black Lives Matter movement and the mother of a man killed by Memphis police.

The list assembled by Memphis police appears to be made up of three different documents, including one signed by Mayor Jim Strickland confirming he'd ordered the people in the document to stay off of his personal property. The document was signed Jan. 4, not long after protesters organized a "die-in" on his lawn and some of them peeked through the windows of his house.

Among the people listed in the documents are Mary Stewart, mother of Darrius Stewart, who was killed by Memphis police in 2015; activist DeVante Hill, a prominent protester in the Black Lives Matter protest that shut down the Interstate 40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge last July; the Rev. Elaine Blanchard, who officiated a gay marriage in Memphis the day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled state bans on gay marriage were unconstitutional and who took part in Black Lives Matter protests last year; Brad Watkins, executive director of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center; and organizer Paul Garner.

Click here to read the full list.

Also on the list: former University of Memphis basketball player Detric Golden, who dropped out of the 2015 mayoral race to endorse Harold Collins. Golden considers Strickland a friend and doesn't believe was added to the list for political reasons, but said he was probably listed because of his involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement last year.

At the time, he recalled, police officer friends told him, "You're on the list. They're watching you."

"I probably should be on that list — not as far as needing an escort around City Hall, but as far as me trying to change systemic issues around the city," he said.

Memphis Chief Communications Officer Ursula Madden released this statement in response to questions about how people get on the list:

“City Hall is open to the public, but peace and safety for all citizens and city employees in this building is important. Like all government buildings, there are security measures in place at City Hall. People who require an escort may include disgruntled employees who have been fired, people named on an authorization of agency, and individuals who are subject to orders of protection. It is the professional assessment of the Memphis Police Department’s Homeland Security Bureau that individuals on the list pose a potential security risk. It’s important to note that these individuals have not been banned from City Hall. They simply require an escort. The Memphis Police Department maintains this list, and is responsible for providing security at City Hall.”

Through Madden, Strickland declined to comment on the list. She said he wasn't responsible for creating or adding to the list, and that she was also surprised to see some of the names when she saw the list for the first time Friday.

"That list has existed before this administration," she said. "Not necessarily those names, but this is nothing new."

The lists include the race, birthdate, height and weight of the people. Police in City Hall also have photos to identify the people.

Memphis Police Deputy Director Mike Ryall said the list was to "maintain peace and order" in City Hall, but wouldn't answer questions about why people were added to the list other than to say the department relied on "clear information" when making the decisions.

"I'm not going to get into the nuts and bolts of who's on the list or where we received the information," he said Friday.

Asked when or if police would explain the makeup of the list, Ryall replied: "We don't even need to pursue that down the road."

Asked if the city would explain to the people on the list why they require a police escort, he replied, "At this time, no."

Watkins, whose group advocates on social justice issues, said it was "irresponsible" for the city to require an escort for people who haven't been convicted of any crime and without due process and said there would be a "response" from the public.

"How stupid are they?" Watkins said. "Is that not the most rock-stupid political thing to do?"

Memphis City Council Chairman Berlin Boyd said Friday was the first he'd heard of a list, although he assumed there was one for people who had threatened council members or made them fear for their safety.

But, he added, people should be added to the list based on what they do, not what they believe.

"I'm sure, once we dig into it a little more, there should be a pretty good explanation why a list was created," he said.

Reporter Katie Fretland contributed to this story.

Reach Ryan Poe at poe@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter at @ryanpoe.