Weirich releases documents, statement on Martavious Banks shooting investigation

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — New video and documents in the investigation into the shooting of a man by a Memphis Police officer two years ago were released online by Shelby County’s District Attorney on Tuesday.

Martavious Banks was shot after leading officers on a chase through the streets of South Memphis and into a house on Sept. 17, 2018. Banks was shot five times. He survived and recovered.

According to the city’s police director, all three of the officers had either their body-worn cameras or patrol car cameras turned off at some point during the incident.

An officer who chased him to the front porch shot Banks five times when he said the suspect turned and began to point a handgun at him. The gun was recovered inside the house where Banks collapsed.

No criminal charges were filed against the officers. However, the officer who fired the shots resigned and three other officers were disciplined for violations of department policy related to body-worn cameras, pursuit and radio communications.

Banks pleaded guilty in August of 2018 to intentionally evading arrest in an automobile and creating a risk of death or injury, and to illegal possession of a firearm while having a prior conviction of domestic violence. He was sentenced to two years of probation, plus an additional 10 months and 12 days of probation for violating terms of probation for a previous assault conviction.

The case been closed for one year, and is now is considered a public record under Tennessee law. Weirich recently petitioned Chancery Court to obtain an order allowing release of the TBI investigation. The TBI file on the case can be found at https://www.scdag.com/officer-involved-deaths.

Weirich released the following video: