MEMPHIS – One person was shot and killed and a police officer was critically wounded Thursday afternoon in what authorities described on social media as a “police-involved shooting” at a library in Memphis.
The Memphis Police Department, which led to the attack, came under intense scrutiny. Death of Dyer Nicholas Last month, the man who was shot was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was taken to hospital in “critical” condition, the department said.
Police said the shots were fired after officers responded to a call at the library at 12:32 p.m.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the state agency that investigates police shootings, said local District Attorney Steven J. Mulroy said on Twitter that it had asked its agents to investigate the shooting.
Mr. The agency investigating Nichols’ death said it would provide updates at the scene.
Neither agency immediately provided details about what led to the shooting, nor did they elaborate on who or how many people fired the weapons.
Police officers were seen walking in and out of the Poplar-White station library after the shooting, which was cordoned off with yellow tape.
The library is in an upscale East Memphis neighborhood surrounded by restaurants, bars and a Whole Foods grocery store. Directly behind the library is a 34-story office building called Clark Tower.
Sundiata Williams, who works at Clark Tower, was walking downstairs to pick up a pizza at lunchtime when she learned that security had locked the front door of her office building.
“It kind of blew me away,” she said. “I was coming down to lunch and they were like, ‘No, go that way’.”
Mr. Mulroy’s office is suing five Memphis police officers. They are Mr. Nichols is charged with second-degree murder in her death
Jessica Jaclois Contributed report.
