(Memphis) A case involving the shooting death of a teenager and an off-duty police officer is not in the hands of the TBI.
The TBI released new information Wednesday that the officer involved is Terrance Shaw, who has been with Memphis P.D. since 2007.
They say the 28-year-old officer was the victim of an attempted robbery when he shot and killed the 15-year-old.
Meanwhile the mother of the teen is looking for answers.
“This is something my son would want me to do. Get to the bottom of this.”
Shirley Thompson says she knows her son Justin would want her to fight for justice.
Thompson doesn’t believe her son was trying to rob an off-duty cop the night he was shot.
“He doesn`t own a gun he never talked about guns. Robbery would not be the case,” she said. “My son was gunned down.”
Looking for answers and comfort, she met with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and Police Director Toney Armstrong.
“We talked about finding out the truth about what really happened to my son,” she said.
The meeting was facilitated by First Baptist Church Broad pastor Keith Norman.
“We saw what was being overlooked was the parent, the loss of a child. So we wanted to make sure Ms. Thompson’s needs were being met,” Norman said.
Pastor Norman knows this kind of pain first hand.
“This was personal for me. I had a similar situation with one of my own brothers years ago at the hands of an officer,” Norman said.
Norman’s idea for the meeting proved to be a positive experience for Thompson.
“It eased my mind and made me feel better,” she said.
But she says nothing will take away the pain of losing a teenage son so suddenly.
“He said I’m going to the store ill be right back and my baby didn`t come home,” she said.
No matter what the investigation turns up, she will remember her son as someone who loved playing basketball and his family..
“He loved his mom,” she said.
She says the 10th grader will be remembered in a Candlelight Vigil Friday night at 8 p.m.
at the intersection of Jenkins and Woodall in Hickory Hill, the place where he was shot.
