Cindy Leachman Aldridge holds a photo of her late grandson, Jonah Neal, at her home on July 12 in Owensboro, Ky.
Luke Sharrett for NPR
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Luke Sharrett for NPR
Body camera footage reveals that Jonah Neal did not pose an immediate danger that would justify the use of deadly force when he was shot by a member of a federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis in late May, according to the family’s attorney.
Jonah Neal, 25, was shot at his home by a federal agent who had responded to a 911 call reporting Neal’s mental breakdown. The agent involved was from Homeland Security Investigations, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and was among the federal officers deployed to Memphis under the directives of President Trump and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to address local crime.
Andre Wharton, the attorney for Neal’s family, stated that he and Neal’s mother viewed the body camera footage provided by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. This footage, according to Wharton, challenges the notion that Neal posed an imminent threat to the agents.
“In our view, it was not justified,” Wharton told NPR.
Wharton explained that the footage was from a second agent’s perspective, not the one who fired. In the video, Neal’s mother is heard informing the agents of her son’s mental crisis and his need for assistance.
The video also showed that federal agents were positioned near the apartment’s front door while Neal was at a considerable distance during the shooting, Wharton noted. He mentioned hearing one agent clarify that Neal was holding a knife, not a firearm, just moments before a second agent fired.
Wharton criticized the response as disproportionate, suggesting it reflected poor training and experience.
“What we observed was entirely inconsistent with sound law enforcement practices,” he remarked.
During a press conference on Saturday, Neal’s mother, Jessica, emphasized that her son had not harmed anyone before the shooting.
“My son did not hurt anybody. And, within 30 seconds, she decided his life was not worth it,” Jessica Neal stated, referring to the agent who fired.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to NPR’s request to review the footage. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also refrained from commenting on the body camera footage, citing the ongoing investigation.
Wharton emphasized the family’s desire for a transparent and prompt investigation, noting the wider community’s interest in how the case is handled.
“People are questioning whether these agencies will operate without accountability or if the laws will apply equally to them,” he said.
Neal is one of five individuals shot by members of the Memphis Safe Task Force since its inception last fall, with four resulting in fatalities, including Neal’s. Wharton also represents families of two other victims of shootings involving federal agents, including Tyrin Johnson, who was killed by National Guard troops on July 5.
State authorities have released limited information regarding these shootings, including the identities of the task force members involved and their current duty status.
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told NPR that the task force has made over 11,000 arrests and confiscated more than 2,000 firearms.
“The Task Force has reduced violent crime in a city affected by extreme Democrats’ lenient crime policies,” she said in a statement.
Jessica Neal previously informed NPR that she called 911 on May 20 after finding her son with her handgun, threatening suicide.
Neal’s family described him as intelligent, quiet, and caring, with aspirations of becoming a doctor before mental health issues emerged in his early 20s.
At the press conference on Saturday, Neal’s grandmother, Cindy Leachman Aldridge, asserted that her grandson was “not a lowlife, not a lawbreaker.” She expressed her commitment to securing justice for her family.
“We’re not giving up,” she declared. “We will achieve justice. We will find peace, and we are, we are not going away.”
