Video Shows Guard Members Pointing Guns at Tyrin Johnson After Memphis Shooting
Body-camera footage released by the Shelby County district attorney's office shows Tennessee National Guard members pointing handguns at Tyrin Johnson as he lay on a sidewalk after being shot. The Guardian The 20-year-old died at the scene from a single gunshot wound. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the state's investigative agency, is continuing its inquiry into the shooting, which took place on July 5.
The guard members were part of a federal task force created by Donald Trump, and Tennessee's National Guard, a military reserve force, was deployed by Governor Bill Lee. Authorities said troops were responding with local police to reports of gunshots at about 4 a.m. when they pursued an armed man fleeing on foot.
A Tennessee National Guard report said two guard members fired M17 handguns after the suspect turned on them and pointed a tan handgun at them. Police and National Guard accounts said Johnson was facing guard members with a gun when they fired.
The footage does not show Johnson's initial encounter with the guard members or the moment they fired. It does show at least six guard members on the scene immediately afterward. Guard members can be heard shouting "Hands!" and "Turn over!" while pointing their handguns at a man lying on his back on the sidewalk.
In the video, a guard member moves a handgun on the ground until a police officer tells him to leave it alone. A Memphis police officer is also seen calling for an ambulance and asking the troops whether they have a medical kit.
An autopsy report shared by Johnson's family found that he was shot in the back. According to his grandfather, Johnson carried a gun for protection after being jumped recently in Nashville. An attorney for Johnson released a statement after the video was made public. Associated Press had earlier identified Johnson as the man fatally shot by guard members in Memphis.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he has not yet decided whether to file charges in connection with Johnson's death.
