Last night, a Memphis Police Department officer was struck by a stolen vehicle during an effort to dissolve a large gathering at an Airbnb property. According to WREG, police arrived at the scene in the 1100 block of Kyle Street after receiving a complaint from the homeowner about an unauthorized party.
The situation escalated when an officer began to inspect a black Kia Stinger, its license plate obscured with duct tape, parked in the driveway. As reported by FOX13 Memphis, a confrontation ensued after the officer opened the driver's door to prevent the suspect, later identified as a 17-year-old male, from leaving. In his attempt to flee, the driver knocked down the officer and managed to quickly drive away.
The officer allegedly communicated over his radio that he "had been run over." Local Memphis states that the suspect led police on a chase, which ended when the stolen car crashed into construction beams on E.H. Crump Boulevard. The suspect was detained after attempting to run on foot.
The 17-year-old was found to be in possession of a stolen black Glock 19, with one round in the chamber and 18 in the magazine, and a vehicle programmer used to steal cars. The suspect, who had no new wounds or injuries, was taken to a hospital in non-critical condition. "He was alert and talking," police said in a report obtained by FOX13 Memphis. Meanwhile, the struck officer was treated at a hospital and has since been released.
In addition to the Kia, a second stolen vehicle, a white 2021 Dodge Durango, was found across the street in the parking lot of Glenview Park, as WREG reports. The Durango, which had been stolen from Bartlett, was retrieved and taken to the Bartlett Police Department's lot.
