Tennessee National Guard soldiers deployed to Memphis as part of President Trump’s anti-crime crackdown shot and killed an armed man while responding to reports of gunfire on Sunday, authorities said.
Police were investigating reports of gunfire in downtown Memphis around 4 a.m. Sunday, when they spotted a man carrying a handgun.
“The male fled on foot, and officers pursued him with assistance from Tennessee National Guard soldiers assigned to the area,” Memphis Police officials said in a statement.
Police said the man, later identified as 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson, turned toward the soldiers with his weapon. The soldiers opened fire, killing him at the scene.
No police officers were hurt, officials said.
The two Tennessee National Guard soldiers were in the city as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the state’s primary criminal investigative agency, is leading the inquiry into the fatal shooting.
“TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews,” officials said. “Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for his further review and consideration.”
The multiagency Memphis Safe Task Force was established in September to target violent street crime in Memphis. It coordinates personnel from more than a dozen federal agencies, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee National Guard.
In May, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the task force. The ACLU accused it of monitoring residents in their homes, pulling people over under false pretenses and arresting people for recording police activities.
