Autopsy Contradicts Police Account: Tennessee National Guard Shot Armed Man in the Back

POLICY WIRE — Nashville, Tennessee — An autopsy has disclosed that members of the Tennessee National Guard fatally shot a 20-year-old armed man in the back, refuting earlier police statements that the man was facing the troops when they fired.

Authorities initially reported that Tyrin Johnson turned towards the guard members with a firearm while fleeing from them in the early hours after the Fourth of July holiday in Memphis, resulting in a fatal chest wound.

However, the autopsy report, which was shared by Johnson’s family, indicates that a single bullet entered the right side of his back and exited through his upper right chest. This report was prepared by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center Office of the Medical Examiner.

The National Guard members were part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, an initiative by President Donald Trump to address crime in Democratic-run cities. This task force was linked to four fatal shootings between May and July.

Evaniel Johnson, Tyrin’s grandfather and a former correctional officer, asserts that the guard members had no reason to shoot his grandson in the back. He demands accountability for the incident.

Memphis police reported that officers responded to a call about shots fired near Beale Street and observed an armed individual fleeing the scene. A Tennessee National Guard report, obtained by the Associated Press, states that two Guard members approached the suspect, who then turned and pointed a tan handgun at them, prompting both troops to fire their M17 handguns.

Representatives from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Shelby County District Attorney’s office have not yet reviewed a report from the National Guard and have requested information on the source of the publicly available document.

The autopsy report notes that the bullet had an upward trajectory through Johnson’s body, which is consistent with him running away from the shooter. There was no evidence of close-range shooting, such as soot, gunpowder stippling, or a muzzle imprint around the wound.

An attorney for Johnson’s family has highlighted inconsistencies between the law enforcement narrative and the autopsy findings. The manner of death is classified as ‘homicide,’ though no criminal charges have been filed to date.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has stated that the investigation is ongoing and has referred inquiries about the autopsy findings to the medical examiner’s office.

Johnson’s family is seeking surveillance video or other evidence to corroborate the events leading up to the shooting. They have not been provided with any such footage.

President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis to tackle crime has received a mixed reaction from residents and was the subject of a lawsuit, though it did not lead to widespread protests.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)