(Memphis) A blame game in getting answers about what happened when an off duty Memphis police officer shot and killed a 15-year-old is continuing according to one mother.
We found out even the top cop in Memphis says he doesn’t know exactly what happened.
That didn’t stop Justin Thompson’s mother from showing up to a community meeting to confront the director and mayor.
“Why would an off duty police officer be in a neighborhood that you don’t live in, sitting in front of an empty house with a gun in his car, ” questioned Shirley Thompson.
Thompson showed up at the forum to get answers to questions she’s had since Officer Terrance Shaw shot her son last September.
The TBI finished its report late last month and handed it over to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, the DA decided not to take the case to the grand jury saying there wasn’t enough evidence to get a conviction.
Amy Weirich said the officer and teen did know each other.
That’s all anyone knows about the report.
State law says all criminal reports by the TBI stay sealed unless a judge orders it opened. Dir. Toney Armstrong told Justin’s mother that he can’t see it either.
“As you know the case is sealed so I have not been made aware of the information that’s in the actual case file,” said Armstrong.
Nobody is saying if the DA’s office told Armstrong what the TBI found but Shirley Thompson wants to know why Armstrong won’t even talk to her.
She said, “Okay, this is another thing why haven’t I heard anything from you since my son got killed.”
Armstrong told Thompson once she got a lawyer, legally he was advised against contacting her. While Shaw doesn’t face any criminal charges, he could still lose his job with police. Armstrong promised Shirley Thompson some sort of answer soon but didn’t say when.
“There is still is an administrative hearing pending and it just has not happened yet. But I assure you at the conclusion of that administrative hearing I’ll reach out to you personally,” said Armstrong.
Shaw is currently suspended with pay.
