The family of Jonah Neal and their attorney said they have viewed body camera footage of the May shooting of the 25-year-old by a federal agent in Memphis. Andre Wharton, the family's attorney, stated that the video shows Neal did not pose an imminent threat that justified the use of deadly force. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office, which showed the footage to the family, has not released the video to the public or responded to requests for review.
The shooting occurred in late May after Neal’s mother, Jessica Neal, called 911 to report that her son was experiencing a mental health crisis and was threatening suicide with a handgun. The agent who fired the shots was part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a joint initiative involving Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Tennessee National Guard. The task force was established under the direction of President Trump and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to address local crime.
Wharton described the footage as being captured by a second agent's camera rather than the one who fired. According to Wharton, the video shows agents at the front door while Neal was at a significant distance inside the home. The attorney stated that one agent can be heard identifying that Neal was holding a knife, not a firearm, seconds before another agent opened fire. Wharton characterized the response as a "lack of good training" and "out of proportion" with the situation.
On a broader scale, the task force's operations impact the residents of Memphis, where federal and state resources have been deployed to combat violent crime. According to White House spokesperson Lauren Bis, the task force has conducted more than 11,000 arrests and seized over 2,000 firearms. While the administration credits these efforts with driving down violent crime, the use of federal agents for local mental health calls and the resulting fatalities have raised questions among residents and legal representatives about whether these agencies are operating with impunity.
A person living in Memphis or a similar jurisdiction under such task forces would notice the presence of federal and National Guard personnel in roles traditionally held by local police. The concrete changes involve how emergency calls—such as the 911 mental health crisis call placed by Jessica Neal—are handled and the level of force applied. Currently, state authorities have not disclosed the names of the agents involved or their duty status. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation stated its investigation is ongoing, and no specific date for its conclusion or for a decision on potential charges has been announced.