MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Three Memphis police officers have been relieved of duty pending an investigation after a kidnapping suspect was shot and killed early Tuesday morning.
The incident shut down the Interstate 40 bridge between Memphis and Arkansas, although it was reopened later Tuesday morning.
According to investigators, Memphis officers were called to Avalon and Court around midnight in regards to a robbery and the kidnapping of a 61-year-old man. They were told that the victim was seen being forced into the trunk of a white Nissan by two men.
Responding officers located the vehicle near Madison and Cleveland. They tried to make the driver stop the car, but the driver refused, speeding westbound on Madison and then onto Interstate 40 into Arkansas.
They got off the interstate at the Mound City Road exit and then returned to the interstate, heading back toward Memphis.
That’s when an officer with the Arkansas State Police conducted a pit maneuver, forcing the vehicle to a stop and the passenger to get out and run.
It’s unclear what happened next, but authorities with the Memphis Police Department confirmed shots were fired by two of their officers. They have been routinely relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
A third officer was also relieved of duty, but it’s unclear why.
One suspect was pronounced dead on the scene. The officers were not injured.
The second suspect, who was the driver, was taken into custody.
The reported kidnapping victim was located in the trunk of the suspect’s vehicle. That person sustained minor injuries and was treated on the scene.
The Arkansas State Police have taken over the investigation and released a statement detailing the steps moving foward.
“The state police special agents assigned to the case will prepare an investigative file that will be submitted to the Crittenden County prosecuting attorney,” they said in a release. “The prosecutor will review the statements and evidence contained in the file and determine whether the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer was consistent with Arkansas laws.”
