Man dead in National Guard Memphis shooting was shot in back, autopsy shows

Autopsy Reveals Memphis Guard Shooting Victim Was Struck in the Back

Cybersecarmor.com – A forensic examination of the body of Tyrin Johnson, a 20-year-old Memphis resident killed last month during a pursuit by two National Guard soldiers, confirms that the fatal bullet entered his back. The findings, released through an autopsy report obtained by local journalists, add a critical new dimension to a case already mired in unanswered questions about how the shooting unfolded and whether the force used was justified.

The wound trajectory described in the report is unambiguous: a single gunshot entered the right side of Johnson’s back and exited through the upper right side of his chest. Forensic examiners noted the absence of stippling, soot transfer, or any muzzle imprint on the entry site — details that place the shooter at a meaningful distance rather than point-blank range. The cause of death was recorded as a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was classified as a homicide. In forensic terminology, that designation simply means another person’s action caused the death; it does not, by itself, establish criminal intent or guilt.

Discrepancies Between the Official Account and the Autopsy

Several details in the report sit uneasily alongside the narrative offered by authorities in the days after the incident. Officials stated that two Guard members discharged their weapons during the encounter. Yet the autopsy identified only one gunshot wound on Johnson’s body. No explanation has been offered for the second round’s destination.

Equally notable, the personal effects inventory compiled by the medical examiner listed a “handgun magazine with rounds” among Johnson’s belongings. A handgun itself was not included in that inventory. Earlier official accounts described the pursuit as targeting an “armed male carrying a handgun,” and the Guard maintained that Johnson turned toward the soldiers while holding his weapon. Whether he actually pointed the firearm at them, however, has never been confirmed by officials.

A toxicology screen of Johnson’s blood returned no positive findings for drugs or alcohol, indicating he was not under the influence of substances at the time of his death.

The July 5 Foot Chase

The shooting took place in the early hours of July 5, shortly before 4 a.m. local time, in downtown Memphis. National Guard personnel and Memphis police officers were responding to a shots-fired call when they encountered several people leaving the area. What followed was a foot chase that ended with Johnson dead on the street.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting the formal inquiry into the killing. The agency has described the investigation as “open and ongoing.” The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has stated that no charging decision has been made. The National Guard, meanwhile, did not respond to a request for comment seeking clarification on the unresolved questions raised by the autopsy.

The Memphis Safe Task Force in Context

The Guard’s presence in Memphis is not incidental. Since September of last year, when President Donald Trump signed a memorandum establishing the Memphis Safe Task Force, federal troops have been embedded in the city’s public safety apparatus. The Task Force draws on the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies alongside the Guard itself.

Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Darrin Haas confirmed that the soldiers involved in the July shooting were operating under the Task Force umbrella. Memphis joins a list of predominantly Democrat-led municipalities — including Washington, D.C., where federal troops have patrolled for roughly a year — where the administration has deployed the Guard, citing rising crime and public-order concerns.

“We’re going to make Memphis safe again,” Trump said at the time the Task Force was announced.

In practice, Guard members have been visible on Memphis streets both independently and alongside municipal law enforcement. They appear routinely at crime scenes. Many of the deployed personnel are military police whose training centers on enforcing uniformed-service law and defending installations — a skill set markedly different from the community-policing curriculum followed by Memphis officers.

The July incident marked the fourth shooting and the third fatal shooting involving a Task Force member in Memphis since the deployment began. That frequency has intensified scrutiny over how federal troops interact with civilians in a municipal setting.

Age and Qualification Questions

Local reporting has noted that both Guard members involved in the shooting were younger than the minimum age required to graduate from the Memphis Police Department’s academy. At the time of the incident, one soldier was 19 and the other was 20. Memphis police must be at least 21 upon completing their academy training. The age gap has prompted questions about whether the experience and judgment expected of officers making split-second decisions in a civilian environment were present in these two young service members.

What Happens Next

The autopsy does not close the case; it reframes it. The question of whether a single bullet, fired from behind, constitutes a lawful use of force depends on what Johnson was doing in the final seconds of the chase — whether he was fleeing, turning, or presenting a threat. Until the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation completes its work and the district attorney’s office renders a decision, the two Guard members remain under no formal charge. For Johnson’s family and for a Memphis community already wary of federal boots on its sidewalks, the gap between the official story and the forensic record is the story that now demands answers.