MEMPHIS, TENN. — A newly obtained autopsy report is undercutting the official account of a fatal shooting by Tennessee National Guard troops, showing that 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson was shot in the back — not while facing soldiers with a gun raised, as the Guard's own incident report claimed.

The shooting happened just after 4 a.m. on July 4 near Beale Street, where Guard members assigned to the federal "Memphis Safe" anti-crime task force encountered Johnson during an overnight patrol. According to the Guard's initial report, Johnson "rounded on" the soldiers and pointed a handgun at them before two Guardsmen opened fire. But the autopsy, performed by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center and obtained by the Associated Press, found a single bullet entered the right side of Johnson's back and exited his upper right chest on a slightly upward path — consistent, medical experts say, with someone running away rather than turning to confront police. The report also found no soot or stippling on the wound, indicating the fatal shot was fired from more than three feet away.

The "Memphis Safe" task force was deployed earlier this year under a federal push to station National Guard personnel in cities grappling with violent crime — an approach that has drawn support from residents frustrated with crime rates, and warnings from civil-liberties advocates that soldiers unfamiliar with civilian policing face rules of engagement never designed for neighborhood patrols.

A Homicide Ruling, No Charges Yet

The medical examiner has classified Johnson's death a homicide. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting, but no charges have been filed against the Guardsmen involved, and their names have not been publicly released. The case is one of at least three fatal shootings connected to four separate incidents tied to the task force, according to Military.com's reporting on the broader pattern.

Johnson's family has seized on the discrepancy between the autopsy and the Guard's account, and is now pushing for the release of surveillance video from the area. His grandfather, Evaniel Johnson, a former Davidson County correctional officer, said the findings demand accountability.

"IF HE AIN'T CAUSED YOU NO THREAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE KILLING... BE TRANSPARENT — YOU SHOT HIM IN THE BACK. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE SOMEBODY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED."

Family attorney Andre Wharton said the physical evidence doesn't match the narrative soldiers gave in the immediate aftermath. "I just see some kind of blatant inconsistency there, in terms of what law enforcement reports," Wharton said.

The deployment of National Guard troops to patrol American cities under federal anti-crime initiatives has grown increasingly contentious this year, with Memphis emerging as one of the most closely watched test cases. Critics argue the shootings raise fundamental questions about whether troops trained for combat and disaster response are equipped to make split-second policing decisions in civilian neighborhoods. The Tennessee National Guard has not commented publicly on the autopsy findings beyond referring questions to the ongoing TBI review.

What's next: the TBI's findings, once complete, will determine whether the case is referred to a local prosecutor for possible charges — and Johnson's family says it won't wait quietly for that outcome.