Memphis Mayor Paul Young issued a more specific, and longer, statement Friday afternoon on the death of Memphis Police officer Joseph McKinney.

McKinney was killed in the line of duty early Friday morning, April 12.

This is the first time Young has used his email platform to speak directly to the judicial system. His predecessor, former Mayor Jim Strickland, did so on a regular basis.

Young’s full statement is below.

Today, our usual upbeat newsletter isn’t appropriate.

Today, we are grieving for the family of Officer Joseph McKinney and also for all of the women and men in Blue who put their lives on the line in defense of our community every day. We are heartbroken for the families of those lost to this senseless and needless act of violence and for the far too many others that have come before. 

Enough is enough. We simply must do more to hold violent offenders accountable, even when they are teenagers. We must do more to protect our community — our entire community. 

Today, we stand with the loved ones of the victims of violence caused by illegal weapons. With the heaviest of hearts, we mourn together. And, together, we must align our grief with action. We cannot wait for someone else to do it. 

We must demand tougher gun laws. We must demand sentencing that mirrors our love for our community. Sometimes, that love needs to be tough love.

As a community, we need to ensure that our young people are making better choices. The 18-year-old suspect in this case was caught a month ago on the same charges: stolen car and illegal weapons. He was released on his own recognizance. 

Together, let’s petition our judges and the DA for stronger, swifter sentencing for violent offenses. If you are part of the judicial system, hear my voice first. We need to work together to do better for our community. 

Together, let’s petition our neighbors to be responsible weapon owners. If you are a gun owner, manage that weapon responsibly. If you are a gun owner, make the promise to never leave that weapon in your car. Full stop. 

Officer Joseph McKinney chose to wear the Memphis Police Department uniform. He chose to serve his city. On his behalf, and in honor of the choices made by every man and woman who wears the uniform, I ask you to join me in action. Let’s make certain that Officer Joseph McKinney’s brave choices stand for something greater.

with prayers for our community,

Paul A. Young

Editor’s note: Comments have been disabled on this story due to the evolving nature of the information.