Two members of the Tennessee National Guard, assigned to a crime-fighting patrol in Memphis, fatally shot a man on Sunday. The incident occurred during a downtown chase when the man turned toward the soldiers with a gun, according to authorities.
The Guard members are part of a federal task force in Memphis, initiated by former President Donald Trump, to address crime in Democrat-led cities. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee had deployed the Guard to support this effort. Local police and Guard members responded to gunshot reports around 4 a.m. and pursued a fleeing armed man.
The city’s police department stated the guardsmen shot after the man turned his weapon on them. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) identified him as Tyrin Johnson, age 20, and announced an investigation into the shooting. No law enforcement officers were injured, but Johnson died at the scene despite first aid attempts by two National Guard medical specialists.
“I believed in him, and I know he still had so much life ahead of him,” said Evaniel Johnson, Tyrin’s grandfather. “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.”
Johnson’s grandfather described him as a former Tennessee State University student, a father, and a future leader in the family construction business. He expressed his intention to review investigation findings and any video evidence before forming an opinion.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young referred to the incident as an “unfortunate” event and awaited TBI investigation results before making further comments. Information showed Tyrin Johnson had minor traffic violations but no serious criminal record.
The Memphis Safe Task Force, comprising federal and local agencies, has operated since October. This initiative led to over 10,000 arrests. The TBI reported four officer-involved shootings related to the task force but did not specify which involved National Guard members firing weapons.
Memphis, with a population over 600,000, has faced high crime rates, including assaults and homicides. Both Democratic and Republican officials noted a decrease in some crime categories prior to federal deployment. In April, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled that Democratic officials lacked standing to block the troops’ deployment.