Two members of the Tennessee National Guard, part of a federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis, shot and killed a man on Sunday. Authorities stated the man turned towards the soldiers with a gun during a downtown chase.
The task force was created under President Donald Trump’s administration to address crime in various Democrat-led cities. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee deployed the Guard to assist. The guardsmen, collaborating with local police, responded to gunshots around 4 a.m., pursuing the armed suspect who attempted to flee on foot.
According to the Memphis police department, the guardsmen fired when the man turned towards them with a gun. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the man as 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson. Investigations into the shooting are underway, with no law enforcement injuries reported.
Johnson died at the scene despite efforts from two National Guard medical specialists to provide first aid, as stated by Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Darrin Haas.
Tyrin Johnson’s older cousin, Terracle Nelson, said family members were informed of two chest shots. Authorities did not disclose the number of shots, and TBI refrained from commenting on this account.
Evaniel Johnson, the grandfather of Tyrin, shared that Tyrin took classes at Tennessee State University, had a young child, and was set to assist in the family construction business. He was also keen on music. Evaniel stressed the importance of reviewing investigation results and any shooting footage before making a judgment.
“I believed in him, and I know he still had so much life ahead of him,” Evaniel Johnson expressed. “The heartbreaking reality is that he will never have the chance to enjoy what we were building together. That is a pain no grandparent should ever have to endure.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young characterized the shooting as an “unfortunate incident” and awaits the TBI investigation outcome before further comments, according to spokesperson Penelope Huston.
Online court records search revealed no federal or state cases related to Tyrin Johnson. Local court records in Memphis and Nashville showed minor traffic violations.
Federal troops have been present in Memphis since October, despite objections from Mayor Young. The Memphis Safe Task Force, initiated by Trump, includes federal and local agencies, leading to over 10,000 arrests by June, per the U.S. Marshals Service.
Data from the TBI indicated at least four officer-involved shootings tied to the task force, with two in May not involving National Guard weapons discharge. An October shooting linked to the task force did not specify agency involvement. The TBI and the National Guard did not clarify if Sunday’s incident marked the first time Guardsmen discharged weapons since their deployment.
Memphis, with a population of over 600,000, has faced significant violent crime challenges, including assaults, carjackings, and homicides. Reductions in certain crime categories were noted last year by both Democratic and Republican officials, before troop deployment, aligning with national crime trends.
In April, a ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals stated that Democratic officials at the state and local levels could not block federal troop deployments in Memphis.
Brook is a corps member with The Associated Press and part of the Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program placing journalists in local newsrooms.