National Guard soldiers shoot and kill armed suspect in downtown Memphis
Two Tennessee National Guard soldiers fired on 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson during a foot chase after shots were reported in downtown Memphis, killing him; the incident is under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Memphis police said two Tennessee National Guard soldiers opened fire on 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson early Sunday, killing him after a chase that began when officers responded to reports of gunfire in downtown Memphis just before 4 a.m. The suspect, who was carrying a handgun, fled on foot and was pursued by police and Guard troops.
"The man turned toward NG members with his weapon before the National Guard soldiers fired their weapons and struck him," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene and no law-enforcement officers were injured. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent inquiry at the request of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
The National Guard has been deployed in Memphis since October as part of a federal task force aimed at reducing crime. The deployment, initiated under a federal directive, has faced legal challenges from Democratic state and local officials who argue it exceeds constitutional limits, but an appeals court lifted a temporary injunction that had halted the operation.
