(Memphis) The text messages from the cell phone of a 15-year-old boy just minutes before he was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer are revealed to News Channel 3.
The shooting was ruled justified but almost all details leading up to it have remained a mystery until now.
On Your Side Investigator Stephanie Scurlock found out what the teenager was texting right before his death.
Terrance Shaw told police 15-year-old Justin Thompson was trying to rob him, but the teen’s mother showedus cell phone text messages she says implies the two were planning to meet that day and had been together before.
Shirley Thompson showed us the box of evidence collected by the TBI where her son’s cell phone had been since he was shot.
She now has it in her possession and says inside is the link between her teenage son and Terrance Shaw, the off duty Memphis police officer who shot him.
“Texts and phone calls were made. They were conversating right before he got shot,” said Thompson.
The text messages between Justin and the number she claims belongs to Shaw started at 7:26pm, September 24th.
Incoming Text: wassup
Justin: Shyt watchu got goin
Incoming Text: nothin, chillin, u tryna get up wit me?
Justin: yea
Shirley Thompson says the next set of messages reveal the two knew each other.
Justin: wat time
Incoming Text: now
Justin: ok same spot
Thompson says the spot was an abandoned house where neighbors told her they saw a car resembling Shaw’s parked prior to the shooting.
She said, “It means to me that they been meeting up at that same spot and that spot was that empty house.”
According to the text messages, the person Justin was meeting got there first, but Justin changed the meeting place.
Justin: jus come to my house on Woodale st. aint nobody hur
When Justin doesn’t give his actual address the person gets irritated.
Incoming Text: ok yea u trippin. What’s ur address nigga
The person then threatens to leave the area.
Incoming Text: Im boutta dip u trippin
About 6 minutes after that text, Justin was shot and killed.
His mother can only speculate why the two were meeting.
“My son wasn’t but 15-years-old and he’s 28. I mean, what kind of involvement could you have with a 15-year-old. That’s what kind of gets next to me,” said Thompson.
News Channel 3 called the number Justin’s mother says belongs to Shaw.
When we asked to talk to Terrance, the man asked who was calling and what did we want.
When we told him, the man hung up the phone.
Shaw is still relieved of duty with pay.
More on this story: http://digital-stage.wreg.com/tag/terrance-shaw/