MEMPHIS, Tenn.– Residents in Cordova say these days the crime is hitting way too close to home from car break-ins and robberies to Wednesday morning’s officer-involved shooting.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, an armed 20-year-old John Hunt led Shelby County deputies on a chase in Cordova before he reached this dead end.
After barricading himself for hours investigators said he got out the car with a rifle causing a SWAT officer to fire shots killing him.
A woman who didn’t want to be identified said her family saw the shooting unfold in front of their home.
“We heard them try to talk him down about an hour..asking him to come out the car,” she said. “I knew from the gunshot it had to be a high grade gunshot it didn’t sound like a handgun or anything.. almost like it had a silencer.”
Shattered car parts, evidence processing gloves and traces of blood remain on Dexter Road as residents are left in shock following the overnight shooting.
Public safety data from MPD shows at least 275 calls to the Cordova area since January 1st.
Pam Davis moved to the area 11 years ago from Ohio. She has started an online group called Take Back Cordova to turn things around.
“I have a real passion for Cordova to be like it used to be when you could drive down the road..without someone flying past you going 100 miles an hour and when we didn’t have to look at all the litter along the sides of the road and we didn’t have to worry about anybody getting robbed at the grocery store,” Davis said.
In 8 days, the group already has over 400 members.
She too believes COVID is a driving factor for crime and plans to work with police and politicians to make a difference.
“It’s moving in here very rapidly and it’s a sad thing.. a lot of people will be leaving Cordova if we can’t do something to stop it,” Davis said.
The Take Back Cordova group plans to have its first meeting next month. You can join the group here.