Autopsy reveals fatal Memphis shooting contradicts National Guard account

Key points

• Autopsy by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center found a single bullet entered Johnson's right back and exited his upper right chest.
• Forensic pathologist Dr. Steven White noted the lack of soot or gunpowder stippling indicates Johnson was shot from more than three feet away, consistent with fleeing.
• Memphis police and National Guard reports state Johnson turned toward them with a handgun, but the family's attorney, Andre Wharton, calls this a 'blatant inconsistency' with the medical evidence.
• The Memphis Safe Task Force, created by President Trump, has been involved in four fatal shootings between May and July 2026.
• The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident and will present findings to District Attorney Steve Mulroy to determine if charges are filed.
• State Senator Raumesh Akbari questioned the deployment, noting one of the Guard members who fired was 19 years old, an age too young to be a Memphis police officer.

Background

This incident follows a series of high-profile fatal shootings involving law enforcement and federal task forces in 2026. In July, the Memphis Safe Task Force was involved in another fatal shooting at a hotel. Earlier in the year, similar controversies arose in Austin, Texas, where police shot an unarmed teenager, and in Portland, Maine, where a man was killed after an armed car theft spree. These events have intensified scrutiny on federal anti-crime deployments and the use of force by military personnel in civilian policing roles.

How outlets are covering it

CNN and the Associated Press emphasize the forensic contradiction between the autopsy and the official police narrative, highlighting the upward trajectory of the bullet. The Daily Memphian and FOX13 Memphis report the basic facts of the autopsy and the ongoing investigation but provide less detail on the forensic analysis. Action News 5 focuses heavily on the political and legal response, including statements from State Senators London Lamar and Raumesh Akbari, who demand transparency and question the age of the Guard members involved. While all outlets agree on the autopsy findings, they differ in emphasis: national outlets focus on the factual discrepancy, while local outlets highlight the political fallout and the family's demand for surveillance video.

Why it matters

The case highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the deployment of National Guard troops in urban crime-fighting roles, a policy initiated by President Trump. The discrepancy between forensic evidence and official accounts raises serious questions about accountability and transparency in federal anti-crime operations. It also underscores the broader national debate over police use of force and the legal standards for shooting suspects who are fleeing rather than posing an immediate threat.

What to watch

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will finalize its report and present it to District Attorney Steve Mulroy. The DA's office will then decide whether to file criminal charges against the Guard members involved. The Johnson family continues to request access to surveillance video and other evidence to support their claim that Tyrin Johnson was not facing the officers when he was shot.