MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A member of a federal crime-fighting task force fatally shot a person during the execution of a drug warrant in Memphis on Wednesday, marking the second deadly shooting involving the task force in just four days and the fourth fatal incident linked to the unit since its creation last September.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, members of the Memphis Safe Task Force were assisting U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in serving a drug-related arrest warrant at a hotel room in Shelby County.
Officials said the suspect refused to open the hotel room door after agents announced their presence. Authorities then forced entry into the room.
An initial statement from the U.S. Marshals Service said the suspect pointed a handgun at members of the task force, prompting a DEA agent to open fire. However, a later statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), which is leading the investigation, offered a more limited description, saying only that the situation escalated for reasons still under investigation, resulting in a DEA agent firing into the room and killing the man.
The latest shooting comes just four days after Tennessee National Guard members assigned to the same task force fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson during a foot pursuit in downtown Memphis. Johnson’s family has since called for the release of body camera and surveillance footage related to that incident.
The Memphis Safe Task Force was established in September as part of a federal initiative aimed at combating violent crime in Memphis. The unit brings together federal law enforcement agencies, state officers, and members of the Tennessee National Guard.
Wednesday’s shooting is now the fourth fatal encounter involving the task force since it began operations, raising renewed scrutiny over its use of force and operational tactics. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into the latest incident, and the identity of the deceased has not yet been released.
According to a CNN post on X, the fatal shooting was the second involving a member of the federal crime-fighting task force in four days and the fourth death connected to the unit since its launch in September.