Gunshot victim escapes shooter by jumping on passing garbage truck, Tennessee cops say

An injured man fled a shooter by jumping on a garbage truck that was driving by, Tennessee authorities said.

At about 5 p.m. Sept. 3, the 20-year-old man was seen speaking with another man in the driveway of a home before the shooting, according to the Memphis Police Department.

Then the second man took out what appeared to be a semiautomatic pistol and started firing shots at the 20-year-old, police said after reviewing Ring camera footage.

A witness told police he looked outside and saw one man chasing another while shooting at him, according to police. A Memphis City garbage truck was on-duty nearby, and the gunshot victim jumped onto the side of the truck and yelled to drive away, the witness told investigators.

The shooter continued firing and hit the passenger side of the garbage truck multiple times, police said.

The truck eventually came to a stop, and the injured man got off and waited for help to arrive, police said.

When first responders found him lying on the sidewalk, he couldn’t provide further details about what happened and was “extremely critical.” He was taken to a hospital and is still in critical condition, Memphis police told McClatchy News on Sept. 4.

The occupants of the garbage truck said they didn’t need medical attention. Another man told officers his unoccupied Toyota had been shot at as well, according to police.

Investigators said they took someone into custody and released him, but no charges were filed. They put out a call for information on the shooting and said the shooter is still out there.

This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Gunshot victim escapes shooter by jumping on passing garbage truck, Tennessee cops say."