Officer killed in shooting was a former Chick-fil-A employee: ‘We will always cherish him’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) – The community in Memphis, Tennessee is remembering a fallen officer who died during a shootout on Friday.

Officer Joseph McKinney was killed in the line of duty after a shootout with two suspects near Geeter K-8 School.

McKinney joined the Memphis Police Department in 2020.

He was 26 years old and leaves behind a wife and a daughter.

Prior to becoming a police officer, McKinney worked at Chick-fil-A. His former restaurant on Summer Avenue in Memphis shared a statement following his death:

“We were so devastated to learn of his passing this morning. If you knew Joseph (Rusty), you loved Joseph. Myself and many others here had the pleasure of being a part of his journey as a young man into a police officer, a husband and a father. We will always cherish him and what he has meant to our Chick-fil-A family.”

The Memphis Police Association Charitable Foundation created a fundraiser for McKinney’s family. You can donate here.

Officials identified the suspects in Friday’s fatal shooting as 18-year-old Jaylen Lobley and a 17-year-old.

Lobley was also killed in the shooting, and two other officers were injured.

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