Memphis National Guard Members Kill Armed Man in Downtown Shooting
A 20-year-old man died after Tennessee National Guard troops opened fire during a pursuit in downtown Memphis on Sunday morning.
Memphis National Guard Members Kill Armed Man in Downtown Shooting
A young man aged 20 lost his life in downtown Memphis on Sunday after troops from the Tennessee National Guard fired their weapons during a foot pursuit. The state bureau of investigation named the victim as Tyrin Johnson.
The sequence began when local police responded to calls about gunfire in the central business district. Officers observed an individual carrying a firearm, who then attempted to escape on foot. Members of the National Guard, attached to a federal-local task force operating in the area, assisted in chasing the fleeing person.
According to the municipal police department, the pursued individual pivoted toward the Guard members while brandishing his weapon. Two servicemembers then discharged their firearms, striking and killing Johnson at the location. No injuries were reported among the pursuing personnel.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has taken charge of the case, acting on a request from the state's top prosecutor. The bureau indicated it would refrain from judging whether the shooting was warranted and would withhold the identities of the troops involved while inquiries continue.
The patrol operation is part of a broader task force combining federal agents, city police, and military reservists. Established last autumn under a presidential order, the unit has logged more than ten thousand apprehensions for suspected criminal activity since commencing operations.
Sunday's deadly encounter follows two earlier lethal shootings linked to the same task force. In the spring, narcotics agents killed a 41-year-old man while executing an arrest warrant. Days afterward, a homeland security agent shot another man dead inside a private dwelling.
Relatives speaking to wire services described Johnson as a new father who had been preparing to assume leadership of his family's building enterprise. His grandfather expressed a desire to review official findings and any recorded footage before drawing conclusions about the circumstances.
Source: NBC News
Source: Google News MT