Overview
- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is probing the fatal shooting of Tyrin Johnson after two National Guard soldiers fired during a downtown foot chase on Sunday and two Guard medics tried to render aid before he was pronounced dead.
- Memphis police say officers responding to a shots-fired call saw an armed man flee and that the man turned toward Guard members with a handgun before the soldiers discharged their weapons.
- Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy requested the TBI review and the agency is interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence while it will not make any immediate judgment on whether the force was justified.
- Johnson’s family and local Democratic lawmakers have called for immediate release of body camera and surveillance footage and have demanded greater transparency about rules of engagement for the task force.
- The shooting adds to at least three prior officer-involved shootings tied to the Memphis Safe Task Force, a Trump-backed deployment that began in October 2025 and has faced legal challenges, political opposition and renewed calls for oversight.