MEMPHIS, Tenn — Three persons of interest are in custody after a Memphis Police officer was shot in Southwest Memphis Wednesday afternoon, according to Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis.
The officer that was shot has since been released from Regional One Hospital after initially being transported there in critical condition.
Davis said MPD is unsure at this time if the three people detained were involved in the earlier shooting of the officer, but their involvement is being investigated.
MPD dispatch first received the call about an officer shot about 12:45 p.m. in the area of Horn Lake Road and Horn Lake Cove. Memphis Police Chief Davis said officers with the auto theft task force were investigating an area where they said they had information about stolen cars being dropped off. Investigators said one of the officers was leaving the area when the officer was shot.
They said the suspect was traveling in a silver 2015 Infiniti Q40 with tinted windows with a Tennessee license plate 2X4-5F8.
Memphis Police said a fellow officer took the injured officer to Regional One Hospital.
Officers gathered at the hospital after the shooting, including MPD Police Chief CJ Davis.
Another officer who was assisting after the shooting was involved in a crash. That officer was taken to the hospital and is still there in non-critical condition. The other driver was also taken to Regional One in critical condition.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools said Geeter K-8 was placed on a precautionary lockdown as officers responded nearby. That lockdown has since been lifted.
ABC24 News also learned Westwood High School, Chickasaw Middle School and Double Tree Elementary were on lockdown as police were tracking down the suspect(s) involved in the shooting of the officer. Those lockdowns have also been lifted.
ABC24 caught up with parents at Double Tree Elementary after the lockdown was lifted, shortly after 3 p.m., who expressed both concern and relief as they looked at crime tape and a still active investigation just yards from the school's front door.
"I'm grateful that they had all of these young men and the patrolman on duty to come and apprehend them, so something serious didn't happen. We've got to protect young people, we have to. So I'm glad that they were here to do their job," Hattie Woodard said. "I thank the Memphis school system for having a diligent operation."
Anyone with information on the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
