Fatal Shooting of Teen Accused of Stealing Car Ruled Justified by Memphis Police

By Stephanie Douglas

MEMPHIS, TENN

A brutal weekend shooting in Memphis has been ruled justified by the city’s authorities after statements from witnesses corroborated a Frayser resident’s account of the incident. The man allegedly shot and killed a teenager who was ostensibly caught stealing a car from a neighbor’s property.

Details of the Incident

Don Smith, a resident of the area and an eyewitness to the incident, recounted the terrifying events of the Saturday morning shooting. Smith claims that a little before 10 a.m., he heard the alarming sound of bullets being fired outside his residence. Upon rushing outside, Smith found one of his neighbors holding a gun, and a motionless body lying in a nearby yard. The gun-toting neighbor allegedly asserted that he had been shot at first, displaying his wound as proof, and had retaliated in self-defense, ending up killing the perpetrator.

As per the neighbor’s account, the decedent was in the process of stealing a car when he confronted him. The teenager allegedly responded by shooting the neighbor in the chest. The witness, Smith, further stated his disbelief that someone so young could resort to such violence. The diseased teen, according to Smith, had a gun in his hand.

Frayser’s strong sense of community, Smith iterated, usually ensures a watchful neighborhood where any criminal activity wouldn’t go unnoticed. The act of intervening when the teen was attempting to steal another neighbor’s car was a result of this mutual concern and vigilance.

Retaliation and Aftermath

According to the Memphis Police, the house of the man who had pulled the trigger was riddled with bullets later that same evening, pointing to a potential retaliation incident. The man whom authorities had cleared as acting in self-defense communicated his suspicion to the police that the firing at his house was a direct consequence of the morning’s shooting.

The identity of the deceased teenager remains undisclosed at this point in time, and the man who defended himself is currently receiving treatment for the gunshot wound inflicted on him.