Mistaken Identity: U.S. Marshals Shoot Wrong Man During Arrest Attempt

Investigators say the man shot Tuesday at a Memphis gas station was not the fugitive U.S. Marshals believed they were targeting.

by: Kelli Cook

Posted: Aug 26, 2020 / 10:16 AM CDT / Updated: Aug 26, 2020 / 10:16 AM CDT

(WMC/NBC News) A man mistakenly targeted in an arrest attempt by U.S. Marshals is recovering after he was shot and wounded while attempting to flee.

The shooting took place Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee.

According to the U.S Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, their officers were searching for a suspect wanted for first-degree murder and possession of weapon charges.

Marshals surrounded the vehicle they thought was associated with the suspect they were looking for, but it turned out to be the wrong person.

They say the driver began to ram the Marshals’ vehicles that surrounded him while trying to get away. That’s when a U.S. Marshal fired at least one shot.

According to reports, the young man left the vehicle and ran across the street into the woods where he was captured and transported to a nearby hospital.