SAEDNEWS: Video Shows Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Pointing Guns at Dying Man in Memphis After Fatal Shooting
According to Saednews, Video footage from a Memphis police officer’s body camera captures the officer requesting an ambulance after a shooting and asking National Guard personnel whether they have medical supplies, according to The Guardian.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has released several videos related to the July 5 fatal shooting of Tyrin Johnson, including police body camera recordings, surveillance footage and a cellphone video recorded by a witness. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is continuing to investigate the incident.
Johnson, 20, was carrying a firearm when he was shot and killed at the scene. Investigators reported that he died from a single gunshot wound. However, an autopsy report obtained by his family concluded that the bullet struck him in the back. This finding conflicts with accounts from police and National Guard personnel, who claimed Johnson was facing them and holding a gun when they opened fire.
The newly released recordings do not capture the initial confrontation between Johnson and the National Guard members or the moment the shots were fired.
The soldiers involved were assigned to a federal task force established by US President Donald Trump. Last year, Trump deployed federal agents and military personnel to several Democratic-led cities, claiming that those areas were experiencing widespread crime. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, ordered National Guard members to assist with the operation. The task force was connected to four fatal shootings between May and July.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he has not yet determined whether criminal charges will be brought in connection with Johnson’s death.
The Tennessee National Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ed Yarbrough, the lawyer representing the two National Guard members involved, said his clients had no comment at this stage.
Officials stated that the soldiers were assisting local police after reports of gunfire at approximately 4 a.m. when they joined the pursuit of an armed individual who was running away.
Surveillance recordings show a person dressed in dark clothing firing several shots across an empty parking area toward three individuals walking along a pavement. Nearby, two Memphis police officers hear the gunfire and initially walk before running toward the location, according to one officer’s body camera. Their radio communications indicate that they are chasing an armed man on foot.
Although the body camera footage is unclear because of the officer’s movement, it records shouting followed by the sound of a gunshot and several more shots.
A Tennessee National Guard report obtained by the Associated Press through a public records request stated that two soldiers responded to a police radio call. They reportedly exited their vehicle and approached the suspect, who allegedly turned toward them and aimed a tan-colored handgun in their direction.
According to the report, both soldiers fired their M17 service pistols. Memphis police officers arrived moments later.
Police body camera recordings show National Guard members standing at the scene and pointing their handguns toward a man lying on his back on the pavement. They can be heard shouting commands, including “Hands!” and “Turn over!”
André C. Wharton, the lawyer representing Johnson’s family, emphasized that the released recordings fail to capture the critical moments immediately preceding the shooting or the actual gunfire.
He argued that the investigation should concentrate on the circumstances surrounding the fatal shot and whether the soldier who fired it acted reasonably.
Johnson was a father to a young child and had been preparing to take on a leadership role in his family's construction company, according to his grandfather, Evaniel Johnson.
The body camera footage also shows that at least six National Guard members were present shortly after the shooting. One soldier appears to move a handgun lying on the ground before a police officer instructs him not to touch it.
An officer subsequently requests an ambulance over the radio. Shortly before the recording ends, one of the soldiers begins cutting away Johnson’s shirt, apparently to provide medical assistance.
