A newly released autopsy report is raising serious questions about the official account of a fatal shooting involving Tennessee National Guard soldiers in Memphis, revealing that 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson was struck by a single bullet that entered through his back.
Authorities had previously stated that Johnson turned toward guard members and pointed a firearm at them before being shot in the chest. However the autopsy conducted by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center Office of the Medical Examiner found the bullet entered through the right side of Johnson’s back and exited through his upper right chest.
Independent forensic pathologist Dr. Steven White reviewed the autopsy report for the Associated Press and said the bullet’s slightly upward trajectory through Johnson’s body is consistent with someone running away from the shooter. White also noted the absence of soot or gunpowder stippling around the wound suggests Johnson was shot from more than three feet away.
Johnson’s grandfather Evaniel Johnson a former correctional officer with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in Nashville is demanding accountability. “Be transparent. You shot him in the back” he said. “I just want to make sure somebody be responsible for what happened.”
The guard members involved were part of the Memphis Safe Task Force a unit created under President Donald Trump who deployed troops and federal agents to several cities he described as plagued by crime. The task force has been linked to four fatal shootings between May and July.
A Tennessee National Guard report obtained by the AP stated that two soldiers responded to a Memphis police radio call about shots fired near Beale Street and that the suspect turned and pointed a handgun at them before they opened fire. An investigative narrative included within the autopsy report from a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent also described Johnson as drawing a firearm before being shot.
Family attorney Andre Wharton said the conflicting accounts cannot be reconciled. “I just see some kind of blatant inconsistency there in terms of what law enforcement reports” Wharton said. “The versions don’t seem to match.”
The autopsy lists Johnson’s manner of death as homicide though that classification does not carry legal weight regarding intent. No criminal charges have been filed. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed the case remains open and ongoing.
Johnson’s family has requested surveillance footage or other evidence supporting the claim that he pointed a weapon at soldiers but say they have not been shown any video from the moments leading up to the shooting.
