Memphis, Tennessee: DA Releases Video in National Guard Shooting of Tyrin Johnson

The Shelby County District Attorney's Office released video on Monday, November 2, in the fatal shooting of Tyrin Johnson in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Johnson, 20, died at the scene on July 5 after two Tennessee National Guard members fired at him during a foot pursuit that started in the downtown entertainment zone.

District Attorney Steve Mulroy said his office released the video for transparency while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation finishes its work. In the official release, Mulroy said: "I made a commitment to release videos when doing so would not interfere with an investigation. At this time, releasing the video will not compromise the work the TBI has done so far or its ability to complete the investigation."

What the reports say happened on July 5

According to the District Attorney's office, two Memphis police officers heard shots in the downtown entertainment zone on July 5. The officers reported seeing a man carrying a handgun, zig-zagging and ducking in the area the shots came from. They called to the man, later identified as Johnson, and he fled on foot.

Memphis police and National Guard members pursued him. After Johnson turned onto Union Avenue, two National Guard members fired. The District Attorney's office confirmed their names as Alyssa Hout, then 19, and Dallas Jellnick, then 20.

The medical examiner found that Johnson died from a gunshot wound that entered his back and exited through his chest. The Commercial Appeal, which obtained the autopsy report, said he was shot once in the back, with a trajectory from back to front, slightly upward and rightward, and no gunshot stippling, soot or muzzle imprint. The cause of death was a gunshot wound and the manner was ruled a homicide, which the paper notes does not by itself mean a criminal act.

Memphis police said at the time that Johnson turned toward the Guard members with his weapon before the soldiers fired. No officers were hurt.

What the four clips show

The office released four clips: a Fourth Street and Peabody Place parking lot camera, Memphis police body camera footage of the chase, another parking lot camera, and cell phone footage. The Commercial Appeal reported that much of the footage shows the pursuit, with the fatal shots fired off camera. Body camera footage shows officers hearing shots, chasing a man in all black, and reaching Johnson on the ground with Guard soldiers around him, guns pointed at him. One soldier picked up a handgun from the ground and a Memphis officer told him to leave the gun alone.

No charging decision yet

The District Attorney's office said the TBI investigation is nearing completion but remains ongoing, and no charging decisions have been made.

Johnson family attorney André Wharton said the footage does not capture the full sequence of events. In a statement reported by the Commercial Appeal, Wharton said deadly force may not be used against a person who poses no imminent danger, and that the investigation must stay focused on the moment the guardsmen fired. He also questioned the Guard soldiers' crime scene training after a soldier moved a gun at the scene. Wharton said the family has asked for transparency, accountability and justice.