Background on the Shooting
A 20-year-old man, Tyrin Johnson, was fatally shot by Tennessee National Guard members during a pursuit in Memphis over the Fourth of July weekend. An autopsy revealed that Johnson was shot in the back, challenging the official narrative that he pointed a gun at the soldiers before they fired.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 5, following reports of gunfire in downtown Memphis. Members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, which includes local, state, and federal resources, responded along with Memphis police.
Autopsy Details and Family Concerns
Initially, police reported that Johnson turned toward Guard members with a firearm while fleeing on foot, prompting them to shoot. However, the autopsy concluded that a single bullet entered his back, with the trajectory being from back to front, slightly upward and to the right. The report noted no close-range indicators such as soot or stippling.
Andre Wharton, the attorney for Johnson’s family, expressed significant concerns about the shooting’s circumstances. He stated the autopsy findings further question the officers’ and task force’s accounts, emphasizing the family’s distress over the incident.
Official Investigation and Public Response
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation acknowledged the ongoing nature of their inquiry but provided no additional details. Attempts to obtain comments from the Tennessee National Guard, Memphis Police Department, and the Shelby County Medical Examiner’s Office were made by Newsweek.
The autopsy findings reinforce the serious concerns we have regarding Tyrin’s shooting and the circumstances surrounding his encounter with the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Call for Video Evidence
Johnson’s family is pressing for the release of surveillance footage and other evidence to shed light on the events leading up to his death. The autopsy classifies the death as a homicide, which indicates death by another person but does not necessarily imply criminal activity or intentions. No charges have been filed thus far.
The autopsy also noted Johnson had a handgun magazine with rounds, which is not illegal in Tennessee. Wharton contended this fact does not justify the shooting.
Unanswered Questions
The central unresolved issue is Johnson’s actions immediately before being shot. If he turned towards the Guard members with a firearm, the autopsy doesn’t inherently prove the shooting was illegal. Conversely, if Johnson was fleeing and did not turn, this evidence could question the justification for the use of lethal force.
Johnson, a former student at Tennessee State University, had plans to return to school and was being groomed by his grandfather for a role in the family’s real estate business.