PO Geoffrey Redd
Officer: Memphis Police Department, Police Officer Geoffrey Redd
Date: 2/18/2023 Location: Memphis, TN FACTORS (1,2,7,9,15,19,21)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Torence Jackson Jr.
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Jackson had more than 30 arrests in his home state of Indiana for charges including trespassing, arson, drug possession, and domestic battery. More recently in December 2022, Jackson was arrested in Memphis for unlawful possession of a weapon and a controlled substance. / Yes, Jackson was illegally in possession of a handgun and had just trespassed at a business before confronting a man in the library.
Mental Illness: None stated.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, Jackson has prior drug related arrests. / None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/28
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 12:30 p.m. on February 2, 2023, Memphis police officers responded to a 911 call of a disturbance at a library. Upon arrival at the library the officers encountered the man causing the disturbance, Torence Jackson Jr. and attempted to talk with him.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Jackson ignored the officers commands and instead he took out a concealed gun and shot Officer Redd in the head, severely injuring him.
Reactions by the police: The other officer at the scene immediately returned fire and fatally shot Jackson. Officer Redd was transported to a hospital where he remained in critical condition until dying from the gunshot February 18, 2023.
How murdered? Officer Redd was shot at close range while investigating a disturbance at a library.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? The officers would have had to approach Jackson with their weapons out and then shot him as soon as he made a furtive movement – however, given that Jackson was a black male, the general anti-police atmosphere, and the circumstances of the 911 call, it would have been extraordinarily unlikely for the officers to do so. Had the criminal justice system held Jackson responsible for his prior crimes, Officer Redd would still be alive.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? The officers were essentially ambushed and Officer Redd never had a chance to use deadly force.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Jackson was justifiably shot dead by another officer at the scene.
Miscellaneous: This was an avoidable death asJackson should have been in prison for any one of the 32 crimes he was arrested for since 2017.
