TBI says it acts as a fact-finder and leaves the decision on the agent's actions to the district attorney
Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationTennessee's lead state investigative agency, in a news release announcing its investigation
TBI said it acts solely as a fact-finder, that it "does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified", and that the decision rests with the district attorney general who requested its involvement.
“The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters. That decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was the HSI agent justified in fatally shooting Jonah Neal during a Memphis mental-health call?
On May 20, 2026, members of the Memphis Safe Task Force responded to a report of a man armed with a gun and threatening to harm himself at a home in the 2100 block of Westchester Drive in Memphis. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said preliminary information indicated the responders encountered Jonah Neal, 25, with multiple weapons inside the residence and that a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent fired a weapon for reasons still under investigation. An autopsy report released on September 4 lists the cause of death as a gunshot wound of the neck and the manner of death as homicide. Family attorney Andre Wharton said body camera footage shown to the family by the Shelby County District Attorney's Office casts doubt that Neal posed an imminent threat, and told NPR that "It was unjustified in our opinion". TBI said it does not determine whether an officer's actions were justified. As of September 25, 2026, we could not locate a public TBI finding, a public release of the footage, or a public statement from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, HSI or the U.S. Marshals Service explaining why the agent fired. The dispute is whether Neal posed an imminent threat when the agent fired.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation news release, posted May 21, 2026, announcing its investigation at the request of the Shelby County district attorney general. It gives TBI's preliminary account of the May 20 response, says the cause of death was not yet clear, and says the decision on officers' actions rests with the district attorney general.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
TBI announced the investigation at the request of Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy after an HSI special agent fired a weapon during a Memphis Safe Task Force response on Wednesday night.
After the quotation
The release said TBI would share its findings with the district attorney general for review and that TBI does not identify the officers involved in these cases.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the agent's use of deadly force against Neal, TBI states that it "does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified" and sends that decision to the district attorney general. That is an express redirect, not an evaluation, so it is neither a defense nor a condemnation.
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More from this case
Read the full caseU.S. Marshals Service declines to comment on the Jonah Neal shooting
United States Marshals Service
“Per our policy, we do no make comments on cases that are still under investigation.”Read statement
ACLU of Tennessee cites the Neal shooting as task force agents "opening fire on a young man seeking help"
ACLU of Tennessee
“The recklessness extends beyond mass detention to fatal force. … In another news story that broke in August, the family of Jonah Neal stated that body camera footage shows that HSI’s shooting of Neal was unjustified. Neal was shot on May 20 after his mother called 911 seeking help for his mental health crisis. Imagine the heartbreak of calling the police to help a loved one facing a breakdown and being left to plan a funeral instead. That pain is the Neal family’s reality. … Whether the Task Force is detaining hundreds of people at a nightclub, harassing Memphians with meritless traffic tickets, or opening fire on a young man seeking help, the pattern holds that legal protections for Memphians come last, if they come at all.”Read statement
Andre Wharton says the shooting of Neal was "unjustified in our opinion"
“It was unjustified in our opinion … The response that we were able to observe was just totally inconsistent with good law enforcement”Read statement
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- TBI says it acts as a fact-finder and leaves the decision on the agent's actions to the district attorney
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The Dispute Index. "TBI says it acts as a fact-finder and leaves the decision on the agent's actions to the district attorney". First published: 2026-09-25. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/2563-tbi-said-it-acts-solely-as-a-fact