MEMPHIS, Tenn — The man killed in a shooting along Beale Street over the weekend had been out of jail for only days after being arrested during the Memphis Police Department’s ‘Operation Saturday Night Live.’
MPD confirmed to ABC24 that 44-year-old Benjamin Murrell was the man shot just before 11 p.m. Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 4th St. and Beale Street. Murrell was rushed to Regional One Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
According to Memphis Police investigators, Murrell had been arrested on Sunday, July 14, 2024, during ‘Operation Saturday Night Live.’
Police said about 10:30 a.m. that morning, officers responded to a call about a suspicious person at 4th and Beale St., the same area in which Murrell was shot days later. Officers said they spotted the suspicious person, identified later as Murrell, where he tried to hide from officers then ran from them, in the process throwing a gun onto a church roof.
According to investigators, Murrell was taken into custody, and they found marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cash in a bag he was carrying. Investigators said the gun was recovered and determined to have been stolen.
Murrell had gotten out of jail on Wednesday, July 17 after paying a $100,000 bond. According to court records, his next court date was to have been August 8th.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young sad of the weekend shootings in downtown: "The incidents took place outside the Beale Street security perimeter. Any injury or loss of life to gun violence is unacceptable and we are working strategically with MPD to apprehend the individuals responsible for these actions and to reduce overall violent crime across the city."