A Memphis, Tennessee, police officer and an 18-year-old male suspect were murdered in an early morning gunfight Friday. The deceased suspect was caught last month with an illegal firearm and then released without bond, according to law enforcement officials.
A second cop was also injured and is in non-critical condition, while a third officer was grazed by a bullet during the shooting. A second suspect, a 17-year-old, was also shot but is expected to survive, according to police.
Officer Joseph McKinney, who joined the department in 2020, was fatally shot when police responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle at Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue in Whitehaven, about nine miles south of downtown Memphis, Interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis announced during an emotional press briefing Friday.
When cops approached the dark-colored sedan, they were shot at by the two individuals inside, Davis said.
Police promptly fired fire, and the duo sped away in their car, only to come to a halt a short time later in the 400 block of Hewlitt Road as authorities pursued.
One of the perpetrators was nabbed right away, while the other fled but was caught nearby, according to Davis.
The suspects were brought to a local hospital in severe condition, and the 18-year-old was later confirmed dead, Davis stated. The two have not been identified.
She claimed that McKinney was also struck and died as a result of his injuries.
“We have a wife who is grieving now,” Davis said. “We have the family of the suspects that are grieving now.”
“The men and women of the Memphis Police Department are suffering right now. “As chief of police, I am hurt right now,” Davis stated. “Once again, senseless deaths in our community by gun violence.”
The suspects’ vehicle is covered in bullet holes, and the rear window glass is shattered, according to video footage from the site.
Davis reported that the 18-year-old who died was detained last month inside a stolen vehicle while carrying a modified semi-automatic rifle with a Glock switch connected.
“The Glock switch converted the weapon to a fully automatic machine gun,” David went on to explain.
He was also charged at the time with two stolen automobiles and possession of a programming device typically used to steal cars, according to Davis, and was released without bond.
In 2023, the city had a record-breaking 398 homicides.