Crime · 29 August, 2026 · 3 min read
Tennessee National Guard Shot Tyrin Johnson in the Back, Autopsy Report Says
Autopsy found Johnson shot in the back, not in the chest as initial accounts said. Autopsy contradicts authorities' claim that he turned toward guards with a weapon.
14outlets compared
Was Tyrin Johnson shot while facing guard members or from behind.
11 of 12 outlets skipped it: family says he was being jumped when shot.
The divide
tap a side to read it in full
BBC
“a single bullet penetrated his back on the right side before exiting through his upper right chest”Read the original ↗
WKRN News 2
“authorities initially said the man was running toward Tennessee National Guard members with a gun”Read the original ↗
It undermines the justification narrative for the use of lethal force.
Autopsy Contradicts Account
Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson in Memphis in the early hours of July 5 after authorities said he turned toward them with a gun, but an autopsy report shared with his family says a single bullet entered the right side of his back and exited through his upper right chest.
“A bullet fired by members of the Tennessee National Guard entered the back of 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson”
The BBC reported that the autopsy shows the bullet entered the back, pierced his lung and killed him, contradicting the initial account given by officials that Johnson was shot in the chest after he faced the troops.B
Johnson’s grandfather Evaniel Johnson said, “Be transparent - you shot him in the back,” and the BBC reported that the autopsy was conducted by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center Office of the Medical Examiner.B
The BBC also said the report included an “investigative narrative” from a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent describing officers encountering Johnson after reports of nearby gunfire and then “Law enforcement officers then shot at the unknown male, striking him once in the chest.”B
Family Demands Accountability
Evaniel Johnson, a former correctional officer with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in Nashville, told the Associated Press through the BBC, “I just want to make sure somebody be responsible for what happened. Some accountability.”
The BBC reported that the National Guard did not immediately respond to its request for comment, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said its investigation remained “active and ongoing” and that “Reports that Tyrin Johnson turned and pointed a gun at National Guardsmen were not distributed by the TBI.”B
In a separate account, Action News 5 said the Shelby County Medical Examiner ruled Johnson’s death a homicide and that the autopsy report showed a different sequence than investigators’ initial claim that Johnson turned to face officers before he was shot.
Action News 5 quoted family attorney Andre Wharton saying, “So it doesn’t add up,” as he described the harm of hearing a story that he said was inconsistent with the allegations initially made.
What Comes Next
The autopsy findings have intensified calls for transparency and a charging decision, with Action News 5 reporting that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told it the shooting is still under investigation and that the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said DA Steve Mulroy will decide how to proceed once TBI findings are finalized.
“DA Steve Mulroy will decide how to proceed once the TBI findings are finalized”
Action News 5 also quoted Tennessee State Senators London Lamar and Raumesh Akbari calling for accountability, with Lamar saying, “I hope those responsible are held accountable according to the law.”
The BBC reported that no criminal charges have been filed to date and that the manner of death was listed as “homicide,” while the BBC also said the autopsy report included Johnson was carrying a “handgun magazine with rounds.”B
In the wider dispute over the Memphis Safe Task Force, the Guardian reported that the taskforce was involved in four fatal shootings between May and July, and it quoted Evaniel Johnson saying, “If he ain’t caused you no threat, you know what I’m saying, you have no reason to be killing.”