MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis woman is facing serious charges after allegedly threatening to shoot her own sister.
Police say Brandi Turner is charged with aggravated assault after she made a threat to her sister when her sister and sister’s children started popping fireworks outside their home near Alcy Road and Ketchum on Sunday afternoon.
Investigators said Turner got upset and pulled out a gun when one of the fireworks went off next to her.
She will face a judge Tuesday.
This is one of many firework-related incidents police have had to deal with in recent days. Fireworks are illegal to shoot off in Shelby County.
Memphis police received 238 firework complaints from June 18 to 22, which is up 2,875% from the same time last year when the department only received eight complaints.
The numbers don’t surprise residents like Billy Coleman, who said he’s heard fireworks going off most nights lately.
“Here in the last week, it was quite a bit,” Coleman said. “It can get pretty loud.”
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has also seen a sharp rise in complaints. Deputies received only four complaints during a similar period in 2019 but received 69 complaints this year.
“I don’t know what the uptick would be caused by,” Shelby County Fire Department spokesman Brent Perkins said. “All I do know is this: if you are found to be the cause of a fire that was started by fireworks that you were shooting off, and it caused property damage, injury, or God forbid death, you’re going to be held responsible.”
Residents can face fines or potentially jail time if criminal charges come into play.
