Video Shows Tennessee National Guard Trained Guns on Dying Man

Newly released video footage from the Shelby County district attorney’s office shows the aftermath of an encounter involving the Tennessee National Guard in Memphis last summer. The recordings reveal guard members training their handguns on 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson as he lay dying on a sidewalk after being shot in the back. The incident occurred during a July operation involving a federal task force.

Authorities reported that the troops were assisting local police in responding to reports of gunfire around 4 a.m. when they began pursuing an armed individual. Stationary street cameras captured a person in dark clothing firing shots through a parking lot before police initiated a pursuit. While the available footage does not show the precise moment the guard members fired their weapons, body camera recordings from police officers capture the subsequent scene where guard members are heard shouting commands at Johnson while pointing their handguns at him.

Tennessee National Guard members pointed weapons at a dying man after shooting him in the back.

An autopsy report obtained by Johnson’s family contradicts initial accounts from the National Guard and police, which claimed the suspect was facing the guardsmen with a gun when they fired. Investigators confirmed that Johnson died at the scene from a single gunshot wound. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently reviewing the circumstances of the shooting, and District Attorney Steve Mulroy has not yet determined if criminal charges will be filed against the involved guard members.

Legal representatives for the family, including attorney André C. Wharton, have emphasized that the investigation must focus on the reasonableness of the lethal force used. Meanwhile, an attorney for the two guard members involved stated they have no comment, and a spokesperson for the Tennessee National Guard did not respond to requests for comment. The task force, which was active in several cities last year, was involved in four fatal shootings between May and July.

Why it matters

This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding the use of military-style task forces in domestic law enforcement roles. The conflicting accounts of the shooting and the subsequent release of bystander and police footage bring renewed scrutiny to the oversight of federal and state troops operating in civilian areas.

For readers in India and South Asia, this case underscores the global debate surrounding police accountability and the transparency of state-sanctioned force. It serves as a reminder of the critical importance of body camera evidence in investigating lethal encounters between authorities and the public.