Tennessee National Guard soldiers on patrol in Memphis shot and killed a man early Sunday morning after he reportedly turned and pulled a gun on them during a chase, according to The Guardian.
The incident occurred around 4 a. m.
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as soldiers responded to reports of gunfire in the city.
Governor Bill Lee had deployed the National Guard in October to support a federal push to address crime in Democratic-run cities.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) identified the deceased as 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson and confirmed no one else was injured.
"For reasons under investigation, the situation escalated, resulting in two national guard soldiers firing upon Johnson, striking and killing him," the TBI said in a statement.
The bureau did not identify the soldiers involved.
Lt. Col.
Darrin Haas, spokesperson for the Tennessee National Guard, also declined to identify the personnel.
Haas told the Associated Press that Johnson died at the scene after two Guard medical specialists attempted first aid.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young called the shooting unfortunate but said he would wait for the TBI investigation to conclude before commenting further.
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Young had previously opposed the National Guard deployment, which was temporarily halted in November due to a lawsuit before being approved by the Tennessee Court of Appeals in April.
Young and his allies noted that crime rates were already falling in Memphis when Lee sent in military forces, calling the move an attempt to undermine local autonomy.
