Video shows guards aiming weapons at dying Memphis man
Footage released Monday reveals troops pointing handguns at Tyrin Johnson after a July shooting that contradicts initial police accounts.
By Natalia Costa ·
Shelby County prosecutors released body camera and street surveillance footage on Monday showing the aftermath of a fatal shooting involving Tennessee National Guard troops in Memphis.
The video captures guard members aiming M17 handguns at Tyrin Johnson, who lay dying on a sidewalk in dark clothing. A Memphis police officer is heard calling for an ambulance and asking the troops if they possess a medical kit. The release occurs as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continues its inquiry into the July 5 incident.
Investigators state that Johnson, 20, died at the scene from a single gunshot wound. An autopsy report provided by his family indicates he was struck in the back. This finding contradicts the initial statements from police and the National Guard, which claimed Johnson was facing the troops with a gun when they fired.
The released footage does not include the initial encounter or the moment the trigger was pulled. It does, however, show a person in dark clothing firing shots through an empty parking lot at three pedestrians. Two Memphis officers hear the gunshots and begin pursuing the armed suspect, who is fleeing on foot. The video records yelling and a single gunshot followed by several additional noises.
A National Guard report obtained through public records requests states that two guard members responded to the police radio call. The report claims the suspect rounded on the troops and pointed a tan handgun at them, prompting both to fire their service weapons. Authorities said the troops were part of a federal task force deployed by President Donald Trump to support local policing efforts in Democrat-run cities. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee deployed the Guard to assist this task force, which was involved in four fatal shootings between May and July.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he has not yet decided whether to file charges regarding the death. A spokesperson for the Tennessee National Guard did not respond to requests for comment. Ed Yarbrough, an attorney representing the two guard members, said they have no comment at this time.
André C. Wharton, an attorney for Johnson’s family, noted that the videos omit the moments immediately preceding the shooting. He stated that the investigation must remain focused on whether the action of firing the fatal shot was reasonable. Johnson was the father of a young child and was preparing to help lead his family’s construction business, according to his grandfather Evaniel Johnson.
The body camera video shows at least six guard members at the scene immediately after the shooting. One guard is seen moving a handgun on the ground until a police officer instructs him to leave it alone. A guard member begins to cut off the man’s shirt just before the footage ends.
