MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Violence forced an Orange Mound church to cancel service Wednesday night.
The reverend said within the last twenty-four hours, there has been a large fight and an accident first reported as a shooting feet from the front door.
Police later discovered the victim had not been shot, but rather scrapped himself.
Still, the incidents had people in the area nervous
“When it comes right at your door, it’s just really frightening,” said Reverend Reginald Tucker of Orange Mound Outreach Ministry.
He said he was getting ready for Wednesday’s service when he heard gunshots.
“Right at the door of my church, I had like 50 to 60 people ganged up,” he said.
Tucker said Wednesday’s chaos stemmed from the night before when police broke up a large fight between women in the same spot.
He said he had no choice but to cancel service. The violence was too much.
“I had to close church. I could not do church simply because they were right at the door of my church. We need help from the city and from MPD,” he said.
Tucker said he and many others called police about the shooting several times, but claimed it took officers too long to respond, and the shooter got away.
“The new chief of police said the reason he couldn’t prevent any crimes like this is because the people in the neighborhood didn’t call. I called. No one came,” he said. “I’m just a single man out here trying to assist God in his will, and I need help.”
Since the story aired, police told WREG the original call came into Saratoga concerning a shooting at 5:18 p.m.
While en route, officers said they learned the victim had moved to 844 Baltimore.
Officers arrived on the scene on Baltimore at around 5:19 p.m. where they found a male who was injured.
The male was not taken to the hospital, and no suspect information is available.
After handling the actual call where the victim was, officers followed up to the Saratoga location at 6:15 p.m.