Two Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson during a downtown Memphis foot pursuit early Sunday. The shooting occurred around 4 a.m. as soldiers and local police responded to reports of gunfire. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Details of the Downtown Pursuit and Shooting
The incident unfolded near the intersection of Ida B. Wells Street and Gayoso Avenue. Memphis police officers responded to a call regarding shots fired just before 4 a.m. The officers observed a man carrying a handgun and initiated a foot pursuit.
Tennessee National Guard soldiers, assigned to the area as part of a federal crime-fighting patrol, joined the chase. Authorities stated that the pursuit escalated when Johnson turned toward the guardsmen with his weapon, prompting two soldiers to open fire.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Lt. Col. Darrin Haas, a spokesperson for the Tennessee National Guard, stated that two medical specialists from the Guard attempted to provide first aid before he succumbed to his injuries. No law enforcement officers or soldiers were injured during the encounter.
Family Disputes the Official Account of Johnson’s Actions
The victim’s family has expressed deep skepticism regarding the necessity of deadly force. Evaniel Johnson, the victim’s grandfather and a former correctional officer, disputed the claim that his grandson would have attempted to fire at the soldiers. He described Tyrin Johnson as “no hoodlum” and noted that the young man had recently been carrying a gun for protection after being “jumped” in Nashville.
Family members provided a different account of the physical impact of the shooting. Terracle Nelson, Johnson’s cousin, told the family that authorities informed them Johnson had been shot twice in the chest.
“Show me the video,” Evaniel Johnson told The Associated Press. “Please show me that — and then I’m gonna fight and advocate for my grandson until there’s no breath in me.”
Evaniel Johnson, via AP News
Johnson’s background included attending Tennessee State University from August 2023 through May 2024. His family described him as a father of a young child who was preparing to help lead the family’s business.
Political and Economic Context of the Memphis Safe Task Force
The shooting occurred under the auspices of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a federal and local initiative created by President Donald Trump. The deployment, which has seen troops patrolling the city since October, was supported by Republican Governor Bill Lee but has faced opposition from local Democratic leaders.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, has been a critic of the federal intervention. Young and other allies have argued that the deployment is an attempt to diminish the autonomy of cities under Democratic control, especially as crime rates in Memphis had been falling prior to the troop arrival.
The task force has led to more than 10,000 arrests.
| Metric | Verified Data |
|---|---|
| Total Task Force Arrests | Over 10,000 |
| Known Task Force Shootings | At least 4 |
Ongoing Legal Challenges and Previous Task Force Shootings
TBI data indicates that the task force has been linked to at least four officer-involved shootings. Two of those incidents occurred in May and did not involve National Guard members, while another was tied to an October shooting.
Legal battles regarding the task force’s operations have occurred in the courts. The Tennessee Court of Appeals approved the deployment in April. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has also called for the task force to be shut down.
“Memphis does not need armed soldiers in our streets terrifying our people,” State Rep. Justin Pearson said in a statement.
For more on this story, see National Guard Fatally Shoots Man During Memphis Pursuit.
Justin Pearson, via AP News
As the TBI investigation continues, the community remains divided. Democratic leaders, including Tennessee Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari and Chairwoman London Lamar, have called for transparency and the release of any available video footage to maintain public confidence in the outcome.
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