MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — One man was killed and two others wounded in a gunfire exchange on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, that involved police, authorities said.
Officers responded early Sunday to a report of shots fired and found two groups of men exchanging gunfire outside of The Green Room in front of Memphis officers, news outlets reported, citing a police statement.
A man from one group fired shots and struck two men in the other group and the first victim was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. A man from the other group returned fire and police, who were caught in the middle, began shooting, officials said.
The second man who fired was shot and taken into custody. It was not clear whether he was hit by officers or by someone who fired shots from within the groups, police said.
The two wounded men were initially taken to a hospital in critical condition, but their statuses have been upgraded to serious, the police statement said.
Three Memphis officers who were at the scene fired their weapons and have been placed on routine leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Another officer parked outside the club was uninjured but his patrol vehicle and body-worn camera were struck by a bullet fired by one of the groups.
“The Memphis Police Department is outraged at the senseless and brazen acts of violence that took place this morning in the presence of officers,” Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis said in a statement. “We will continue working and strategizing with our downtown stakeholders and city officials to create a safe and welcoming environment for our residents, businesses, and visitors.”
Patrons on Beale Street are not allowed to have guns, but the suspects were not searched because Beale Street security left at 1 a.m. Sunday, Downtown Memphis Commission President and CEO Paul Young said in an interview with The Commercial Appeal.
The shooting will lead to enhanced security measures, Young said.
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