Two men killed in police shooting on Interstate 55
Two men were killed during a police shooting involving an Arkansas State trooper who was also injured in the incident on Interstate 55 in Memphis on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 16.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation sent agents to Memphis for the second fatal police shooting in less than 24 hours.
At a Thursday night press conference, TBI spokesman Keli McAlister said the shooting stemmed from a police pursuit that began in West Memphis and ended in Memphis.
Arkansas troopers and task force officers with the Eastern District of the U.S. Marshals Service were involved in the chase, which stemmed from an active warrant one of the men killed had from South Carolina.
The two victims, who have not been identified, were shot and killed by an Arkansas trooper. McAlister said the preliminary investigation shows the men killed allegedly fired shots at police and one of the police officers returned fire.
The trooper shot was one of the officers who fired at the two men killed.
Arkansas State Police confirmed that a trooper had been injured in the incident, but did not provide any further information.
“An Arkansas State Trooper was assisting another law enforcement agency when the trooper was struck by gunfire,” Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said in an emailed statement. “The trooper was initially reported not to be seriously injured.”
A TDOT traffic cam photo shows the scene on Interstate 55 where an Arkansas State Trooper was injured in a shooting on Thursday, Dec. 16. (TDOT)
Sadler said he could not comment further “until we have a command level supervisor at the scene and accurate information is conferenced into headquarters.”
Memphis police confirmed late Thursday that the incident did occur in Memphis on I-55 and McLemore but referred all questions to the TBI.
I-55 at McLemore in Memphis was closed to traffic and traffic on the interstate at Crump was backed up for miles Thursday afternoon.
The shooting occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m.
The shooting comes a day after a Memphis police officer fatally shot a woman on South Third Street.
This is the sixth fatal police shooting in Memphis and Shelby County this year. There have now been 56 fatal police shootings in Tennessee this year. Last year, there were 46 fatal shootings.
Topics
Arkansas State Police interstate shootingsYolanda Jones
Yolanda Jones covers criminal justice issues and general assignment news for The Daily Memphian. She previously was a reporter at The Commercial Appeal.
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