Key facts
- An autopsy report indicates Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot Tyrin Johnson, 20, in the back.
- Police accounts stated Johnson was facing the troops when they fired, but the autopsy shows a single bullet wound in his back.
- The guard members were assigned to a federal anti-crime task force in Memphis.
- Johnson's family has requested transparency and accountability, stating the guard members had no justification to shoot him in the back.
- The manner of death is listed as 'homicide' in the autopsy report.
Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot an armed 20-year-old man in the back, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press. This finding contradicts police accounts that stated the man, Tyrin Johnson, was facing the troops when they fired.
Authorities initially reported that Johnson turned toward guard members with a gun while running from them after the Fourth of July holiday in Memphis. However, the autopsy report, shared by Johnson's family, indicates a single bullet entered the right side of his back and exited his upper right chest. The autopsy was prepared by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center Office of the Medical Examiner.
The guard members were part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, established by President Donald Trump to combat crime in cities. This task force has been involved in four fatal shootings between May and July.
Evaniel Johnson, Tyrin Johnson's grandfather, stated that the guard members had no justification to shoot his grandson in the back and is seeking accountability. He noted the absence of soot, gunpowder stippling, or muzzle imprint around the wound, suggesting the shot was from more than three feet away.
Attorneys for the family highlighted the inconsistency between law enforcement's narrative and the autopsy findings, stating that the versions do not match. The manner of death is listed as 'homicide,' a term typically used when a death results from another person's actions, without implying intent or legal weight.
Neither the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation nor the Shelby County District Attorney’s office has confirmed seeing a report from the National Guard, with the TBI directing inquiries to the medical examiner's office. The AP has a pending request for Johnson's autopsy report. Johnson was reportedly carrying a handgun magazine with ammunition, which his family's attorney stated was not illegal in Tennessee.