MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy announced Tuesday that no criminal charges would be filed against a Shelby County deputy in the shooting death of Jarveon Hudspeth.
21-year-old Hudspeth was shot and killed by a Shelby County Sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop on June 24, 2023.
The Shelby County DA’s office said the Justice Review Unit investigated the traffic stop. In a news conference Oct. 17 announcing the decision not to charge the deputy, Mulroy said they were still unclear as to why Hudspeth was pulled over.
"What is clear is that Mr. Hudspeth, when he was outside the vehicle, talking with the deputy, had been instructed by the deputy not to re-enter his vehicle," said Mulroy. "He nonetheless did so and started to drive away. At that point, rather than backing away, the deputy made the decision to jump into the car, with Mr. Hudspeth and a struggle ensued while the car was driving at a high rate of speed. It also appears to be the case that Mr. Hudspeth attempted to kick the deputy out of the vehicle which would have caused and then actually did cause serious injuries to the deputy."
Mulroy said the D.A.’s office is “confident” that criminal prosecution is not warranted.
"However, we will say and our declaration letter does say that a decision of the deputy to jump into the vehicle at that point was unusual," said Mulroy. "Had he backed away, deadly force would have not been necessary. This is another instance of what we have sometimes seen as we review these cases where officers take actions that place themselves in danger and then there is the need tragically for the use of deadly force."
Mulroy said the deputy has been released from the hospital but has a long way to go and may not "completely recover."
"Had he [Hudspeth] simply followed the Deputy's instructions, he would certainly be alive and the Deputy would be at work," said the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in a statement, which also took issues with how the D.A. has handled the case.
The video
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office released video Aug. 24 of the fatal officer-involved shooting involving Hudspeth and a Shelby County Deputy.
"When you see that video and you see my son leaving, my son was trying to get home. He was seven steps from home and he was trying to get home because I could protect him," said Hudspeth's mother Charlotte Haggett after the video’s release.
"There's no clarification of why he was pulled over. Even with Jarveon pulling off, it should not have ended in death," said Alice Pettit Miller with Decarcerate Memphis said after the video was released.
The D.A.’s office said the videos in the incident with Hudspeth are from the deputy’s in-car camera, body-worn camera, and a neighbor’s RING camera. A warning that viewers may find the footage graphic and disturbing.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, a Sheriff’s Deputy shot Hudspeth after a traffic stop escalated, and Hudspeth drove off, dragging the deputy for more than 100 yards. However, several questions remained on how the situation escalated that far in the first place. Read the TBI’s initial news release HERE.
According to the D.A., the video begins with both vehicles traveling on the road and ends after the deputy is ejected from the vehicle. Hudspeth died as a result of the shooting and the deputy suffered critical injuries.
“For transparency, our office is incorporating a new practice where we try to release videos in a timely manner as long as it does not compromise the integrity of the investigation,” said Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy in a news release about the videos. “In the past, video has not been released until the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has completed its investigation. Our goal is to speed up that process by showing video as soon as possible when we are sure it won’t compromise the investigation. The release of the Jarveon Hudspeth video is evidence of our Office’s new practice.”
Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, released this statement following the video's release: “Two whole months after the tragic shooting that took the life of Jarveon Hudspeth, the public is finally seeing video of the unnecessary and senseless actions by law enforcement that led to his death. From the initial stop to the shot that killed Jarveon, every single choice made by this officer was reckless, and ultimately, deadly. The video clearly shows that the officer voluntarily climbed into the vehicle, potentially putting himself into harm’s way. And for what? Jarveon’s mother was informed by officials that the officer ran his license and registration, which came back clean. To this day –– more than 60 days later –– we do not know the initial reason for this deadly stop. Enough with the secrecy. Enough with the evasion. Enough with the silence. This family, and this community, deserve answers.”
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., who was running for Memphis Mayor at the time of the video’s release, said this at the time: "The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is handling the investigation into the death of Jarveon Hudspeth. All information regarding the case, including notifications to the next of kin, would be through that agency.
It has come to my attention that specific individuals, including Attorney Ben Crump, have made inciting claims regarding releasing video evidence related to this active investigation.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will continue to follow the law as set forth by the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Legislature, and the Courts regarding the release of evidence while there is an active investigation or prosecution.
I strongly condemn these cheap political stunts aimed at manipulating public opinion and causing distress for all involved.
My primary focus remains on protecting the integrity of this investigation and providing support to my deputy, who is still recovering from serious injuries."