- Shooting under investigation by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
- Incident renews debate over National Guard’s role in civilian law enforcement
- Authorities claim man turned toward soldiers with a firearm before being shot
A fatal shooting involving two Tennessee National Guard soldiers is under investigation after 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson was killed during an early morning foot pursuit in downtown Memphis, an incident that has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s controversial use of military personnel in American cities.
According to ABC News, the shooting happened around 4 a.m. Sunday after Memphis police and National Guard members responded to reports of gunfire involving an armed man. Authorities said Johnson fled on foot before the encounter escalated. Memphis police claim Johnson turned toward the soldiers while holding a firearm, prompting the guardsmen to open fire. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) confirmed Johnson died at the scene and has launched an independent investigation into exactly what happened.
For obvious reasons, everything being alleged should be subjected to intense scrutiny and suspicion by the court of public opinion. Did Johnson actually have a firearm? Was it really pointed toward the troops? We need proof. Unassailable proof.
The TBI has not provided additional details about how the confrontation unfolded or whether body camera or other surveillance footage exists. The Tennessee National Guard also declined to publicly comment on the incident as the investigation remains ongoing.
Johnson’s death comes nearly one year after President Donald Trump’s unprecedented deployment of National Guard troops to several Democratic-led cities as part of a federal crime reduction initiative. Approximately 1,472 National Guard members remain stationed in Memphis alongside federal and local law enforcement, with another 120 deployed in New Orleans.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young described the shooting as “unfortunate” but stopped short of drawing conclusions before investigators complete their work. The mayor said he intends to wait for the TBI’s findings before offering additional comment.
“The incident is under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and we will allow that process to conclude before making additional comments,” said Young, who was publicly skeptical of the National Guard deployment last year.
The investigation is expected to examine the actions of both the soldiers and Johnson, including the circumstances leading up to the shooting and whether the use of deadly force was justified. State investigators have not announced when their findings will be released.
As questions continue to mount, the fatal shooting has renewed debate over the role of National Guard troops in civilian law enforcement and whether the expanded federal presence in Memphis has created additional risks during police encounters.