On Thursday, a fatal shooting took place at the White Station Library in Memphis, Tennessee, leaving one person dead and a police officer in critical condition.
Prior to the shooting, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) was called to the scene to respond to a trespassing complaint.
When they confronted the suspect, Torence Jackson Jr., 28, he pulled out a weapon and fired a shot at one of the officers, leading to a return fire that resulted in Jackson’s death.
Jackson had a criminal history, with more than 30 arrests in Indiana for various offenses. His former charges range from robbery and drug possession to battery with a deadly weapon. He was also known to Memphis police, as he had been arrested almost a month before the shooting on charges of unlawful possession of both a weapon and a controlled substance.
According to MPD, officers were called to the scene of a suspicious man at a business, Home Star Storage, on December 31, 2022. An employee reported seeing the man concealing a long weapon in his pants and called the police.
When officers caught up with the suspect, they found two rifles and a bag of ammunition. They also found a bag of marijuana on his person.
Despite his attempts to elude police, he was arrested and became irate and uncooperative when questioned.
Jackson had a pending case for theft and resisting arrest in Indiana and had accepted a plea deal for time spent in jail in October 2022.