Updated
Updated · WSMV 4 · Jul 6
TSU Confirms 20-Year-Old Tyrin Johnson Killed by National Guard in Memphis Chase
Updated
Updated · WSMV 4 · Jul 6

TSU Confirms 20-Year-Old Tyrin Johnson Killed by National Guard in Memphis Chase

3 articles · Updated · WSMV 4 · Jul 6

Summary

  • Tennessee State University said 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson, killed by Tennessee National Guard members in downtown Memphis over the Fourth of July weekend, was a former student and was not enrolled at the time.
  • Memphis police said officers answering a shots-fired call just before 4 a.m. saw Johnson carrying a handgun, chased him after he ran, and two soldiers fired when he turned toward them with the weapon.
  • Two National Guard medical specialists gave first aid, but Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said no officers were injured.
  • TSU said Johnson attended from August 2023 through May 2024 and offered condolences to his family as TBI investigates the shooting.

Insights

With a third fatality, is a military task force the right tool to police an American city?
Does deploying the National Guard to fight crime blur a line that puts both soldiers and civilians at risk?