Federal agents killed a man in Memphis; 2nd federal shooting this week
July 9 (UPI) -- Federal agents in Memphis shot and killed a man while delivering an arrest warrant Wednesday morning.
The agents are there as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force sent by President Donald Trump in September, and it's the second shooting by feds in a week.
According to a spokesperson from the U.S. Marshals Service, agents tried to serve an arrest warrant on a man in a hotel in the city. When he didn't answer the door, they forced their way in and found the man pointing a gun at them. They then shot him dead.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the agents involved in the shooting were from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The TBI said in a statement that it is independently investigating the shooting.
More details about the victim were not released.
It's the second fatal shooting by law enforcement in the city within a week, as Tyrin Johnson, 20, was killed on Sunday.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Memphis police officers chased Johnson, who was allegedly armed with a handgun, when National Guard soldiers on patrol joined them.
"For reasons under investigation, the situation escalated, resulting in two National Guard soldiers firing upon Johnson, striking and killing him," the TBI said in a statement.
"The Memphis Safe Task Force will remain in Memphis since dangerous criminals are still on the street," said Brady McCarron, the marshals spokesperson. "Attempted violence against law enforcement will never be tolerated."
McCarron said the task force "has made the city of Memphis safer by arresting criminals, driving down crime, and locating missing children."
The presence of federal agents in the city has had mixed reviews by locals. Some welcome the agents because they're tired of the high crime, and others see it as going too far.
"Every Memphian deserves to feel safe and public safety depends not only on reducing violence but also on maintaining trust between government and the communities it serves," Raumesh Akbari and London Lamar, Democratic state senators, said in a statement after Johnson's death Sunday. "That trust is strengthened through transparency, accountability and an independent review of the facts."
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