1 cop, 18-year-old suspect killed
2 other MPD officers injured in shootout
In the days since Memphis Police Officer Joseph Mckinney was killed after an early Friday South Memphis shootout, local, state and federal officials have called for reinforced law enforcement support, and issued public condolences to the officer’s family.
Three Memphis police officers were taken to Regional One Hospital in unknown conditions Friday morning after a shootout in South Memphis. One of those officers and an 18-year-old believed by police to be part of the shooting, died at the hospital, interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said later that morning.
According to the Memphis Police Department, in a post to X Friday morning, the officers were called out to a “suspicious vehicle” at Horn Lake Road about 2 a.m. Friday. As they approached the vehicle, the department said the officers were shot at and then “returned fire.” Two officers as well as the two people believed to be in the vehicle were shot, MPD said.
“The vehicle fled and was located in the 400 block of Hewlett Road,” MPD said in the X post. “One suspect was taken into custody immediately. One fled the scene and was located nearby. The two officers were transported to Regional One. Both suspects were transported to ROH.”
Mckinney joined the department in 2020 and was part of the Raines Station alpha shift, Davis said.
“We’re not just concerned about our officers, we’re concerned about the public in general,” she said at a press conference outside Regional One Hospital Friday. “This could have been anybody. We’re just really, really disturbed at the boldness and the use of weapons in all these different situations that we’re seeing in our community. We have a family that’s grieving now. We have a wife that’s grieving now. We have the family of the suspects that are grieving.
“As a community, we have to do better.
We have to ensure that parents know where young people are at 3 o’clock in the morning. We need to work as a community to do whatever we can with reducing gun violence in our community.”
A third officer was later found to be injured, and “grazed” by a bullet during the shootout, MPD said. That officer is also being treated at Regional One.
The other officer injured in the shooting has been upgraded to non-critical condition, Davis said Friday.
A second person was arrested for allegedly being involved in the shooting, and was a 17-year-old, Davis said, and is currently in the hospital. That teen’s condition is unknown.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were both notified of the shooting, and TBI is conducting its own investigation, Davis said.
Davis was joined outside Regional One by Memphis Mayor Paul Young. He said the community needs to “do more” in terms of accountability.
“We want to protect our community. Our young people are depending on us to get this right,” Young said. “We need urgent action from this whole community. We stand with the family of those that have been lost to violence. To MPD, our officers
are hurting. Our heart goes out to them and their families. We mourn together, and stand in solidarity as one community.”
18-year-old was released on his own recognizance, despite prosecutorial complaints
The 18-year-old who was killed has not yet been identified by MPD, but Davis did say he had been arrested in March.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s office confirmed that the 18-year-old, named Jaylen Lobley, had been arrested and released in March on his own recognizance. Lobley, court records show, was arrested March 5 this year and charged with theft of property $10,000-$60,000, unlawful possession of a firearm, prohibited weapons (having a Glock switch) and vandalism.
According to Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy, Lobley was released on his own recognizance after a bond hearing. He was given reporting conditions that included reporting and a curfew.
“This bond was granted by a Shelby County judicial commissioner following a hearing where our office strongly argued against lowering the bond, citing the defendant’s danger to the community,” Mulroy
said in an email statement. “Despite our arguments, the commissioner approved the ROR bond.”
An affidavit in the case said two cars were reported stolen to police on March 2 and March 3 this year.
On March 5, police responded to a “suspicious vehicle call” and found Lobley in the front seat of the car. Officers said in the affidavit they detained Lobley and found he had a Glock 19 handgun with an extended magazine and a “Glock switch” on the handgun. Switches turn a handgun into a fully automatic weapon and are illegal to own.
The car Lobley was in, police say, was reported stolen March 2. As officers investigated further, they found a red Dodge Charger, with a VIN matching a stolen car from March 3.
When speaking with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Lobley is said to have told the agent that the handgun was stolen from a car a month earlier.
Mulroy said his office was “actively prioritizing the Lobley case,” as it falls under the V11 and Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives with the federal government. The V11 initiative focuses on a set of 11 felonies that the DA’S office prioritizes, with the goal to move them from arrest to indictment, and then disposition as quickly as possible.
“Even though Lobley was a first-time offender, his case had been accepted for federal prosecution,” Mulroy added. “This is consistent with my firm belief, made a part of our ‘V11’ violent crime initiative, that individuals found with stolen cars and guns, or found with Glock switches, can pose a danger and must be dealt with accordingly.”
In regards to the shootout itself, Mulroy said they “trust the TBI to conduct a thorough investigation. Once it’s concluded, we’ll review the findings to determine appropriate steps.”
Mulroy also offered condolences to Mckinney’s family, friends and colleagues, saying he was “deeply saddened by Officer Joseph Mckinney’s passing.”
Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. HPE can be reached at Lucas.finton@commercialappeal.com, or (901)208-3922, and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lucasfinton.