One person was killed and an officer was left seriously injured at a library in East Memphis, according to the Memphis Police Department.
The shooting comes as the city’s police department has been in turmoil since the killing of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who officers beat for three minutes following a traffic stop on January 7. Mr Nichols died in the hospital three days later, with his death sparking protests in the city and across the country.
The shooting at the Poplar-White Station Library took place shortly after officers responded to a call at the library around 12:30 pm, according to a statement shared on social media by the police department. The person who was shot was pronounced dead at the scene while the police officer was transported to the hospital.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced on Twitter that it has been asked by Shelby County District Attorney Steven J. Mulroy to investigate the shooting. The bureau is also currently investigating the beating that led to Mr Nichols’ death while Mr Mulroy leads the proseuction of the officers involved.
Already, seven Memphis police officers have been fired or temporarily removed from their duties due to their conduct in regards to Mr Nichols. Three city EMTs have also been fired for their role in the incident.
The shooting at the library comes just a day after Mr Nichols funeral, which was held at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church and brought together family members of other victims of police violence like Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, and Breonna Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer.
Police have blocked off Poplar Avenue in both directions, with the area around the library blocked off as a crime scene. The library is located in a busy commerical area of East Memphis near to the city’s botanic garden.
