An 18-year-old male suspect and a Memphis, Tennessee police officer were both killed in a shootout early Friday morning. The deceased suspect had been arrested with an illegal gun last month and then released without bond.
A second officer, who was also shot and is not in critical condition, was also injured. A third officer was only grazed with a bullet. Police say that a second suspect, aged 17, was also shot. He is expected to live, they said.
Interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” announced that Officer Joseph McKinney was killed when the police responded to an alarm about a suspicious car at Horn Lake Road & Charter Avenue in Whitehaven. This is about nine miles from Downtown Memphis. Davis announced during a tearful press conference on Friday.
Davis stated that when officers approached the dark sedan, the two suspects in the vehicle fired at them.
The police returned fire immediately and the two sped away in their car. They stopped a few minutes later, in the 400 block Hewlitt Road area as officers chased them.
Davis stated that one suspect was apprehended immediately, while the second fled but was caught later nearby.
Davis stated that the suspects were taken to a hospital nearby in a critical condition. The 18-year-old was pronounced dead later. The two have not been named.
She also said McKinney had been struck by a car and died from his injuries.
Davis said, “We have a grieving wife.” “We have the families of the suspects who are grieving right now,” Davis said.
“The men, women, and children of the Memphis Police Department have been injured right now.” Davis, the chief of police said: “I am hurting right now.” “Once more, gun violence has caused senseless deaths within our community.”
The suspect’s car is shattered in the rear, and the video shows that it has bullet holes.
Davis said that the 18-year-old who died was arrested in a stolen car last month, where he had a modified semiautomatic gun with a Glock switched attached.
David stated that the Glock switch had converted his weapon into a fully automatic, machine gun.
Davis stated that he was charged with having two stolen cars and a device used for car thefts. He was released on bail.
In 2023 the city had a record-breaking 398 homicides.
