The suspect shot by an officer during a shootout Thursday, Feb 2, has been identified as Torence Jackson Jr., 28, of Indianapolis by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

A shooting that resulted in Jackson dead and a police officer wounded at the Poplar-White Station Library on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis drew a heavy police presence around 12:30 p.m.

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There were reports of at least 18 squad cars, in addition to unmarked cars and other trucks. Surrounding areas were blocked off.

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy called the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in to investigate the shooting.

During a 4 p.m. update with preliminary information, Keli McAlister, a public information officer with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, confirmed that the wounded officer was transported in “extremely critical condition.”

McAlister did not identify the wounded officer.

An initial trespassing call came in around noon from a neighboring business in the 5100 block of Poplar, which McAlister also did not name. 

About 30 minutes later, Jackson got into a confrontation with someone inside the library, 5094 Poplar Ave. 

At 12:32 p.m., two officers responded to the scene. When the officers tried talking to Jackson, he pulled a gun and shot one of the officers, McAlister said. 

The second officer returned fire and struck Jackson, who died on the scene. 

The officer, who was critically injured, was transported to Regional One Health in extremely critical condition.

Several minutes after the shooting, several police cars were seen traveling down Poplar Avenue in Midtown toward Downtown.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis visited Regional One Health but were gone by 5:15 p.m.

“Please pray for the injured police officer,” Strickland said. “I spent the afternoon with the officer’s family, pastor and some co-workers, and they need to be uplifted in prayer too.”

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By 12:55 p.m., the scene was secure. 

The police department’s Mobile Command Post arrived on the scene at 1:49 p.m.

Red tape lined the eastern portion of the library’s parking lot off Poplar Avenue. Beyond that, yellow tape blocked off the driveway between the library and Carrabba’s Italian Grill and a large area behind the library.

By 2 p.m., officers had moved the crime scene tape farther back to extend the crime scene.

TBI is working to “independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews.”

“The investigation takes as long as the investigation takes,” McAlister said when asked when more information would be available.