A member of a federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis shot and killed a person on Wednesday, marking the second fatal shooting by a task force member in four days. The incident occurred while U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents were serving a drug warrant in Shelby County at around 8:30 a.m. The suspect, who was in a hotel room, refused to open the door for agents, prompting them to knock the door down, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Brady McCarron.
A news release from the Marshals Service stated the man was killed after pointing a handgun at task force members. However, a later release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), which is investigating the circumstances, provided a less specific account, noting only that the situation escalated, resulting in a DEA agent firing into the room and striking the man fatally. No law enforcement officers were injured, and the DEA team included at least one local Memphis Police Department officer.
The Memphis Safe Task Force, created last year by President Donald Trump, aims to place National Guard troops and federal agents in cities described as crime-ridden. Although plans to deploy troops to other cities were blocked by courts, Tennessee National Guard troops have been part of the task force in Memphis since last fall. In the early hours of Sunday, two Guardsmen fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson after he allegedly turned toward them with a gun during a downtown pursuit. The TBI is investigating both shootings and will turn the results over to the local district attorney general.
The task force has been involved in at least four fatal shootings since May, according to the TBI. The latest incident has raised questions about the use of force by federal agents and the role of the task force in local law enforcement operations.