Suspect who fatally shot officer, wounded two others was let go without bond after having an illegal gun just weeks prior

MEMPHIS, TN - Additional details about the suspect who has been charged with fatally shooting a Memphis police officer and injuring another are surfacing just days after the deadly shootout. 

According to reports, court records show that the man accused of killing Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney had previously been released from jail on felony charges without bail by a Shelby County judge.

The deadly incident happened in the morning hours on Friday, April 12th, when officers responded to a call in southwest Memphis. Officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue around 2:20 a.m.

Upon arriving on scene, the officers were shot at as they approached the vehicle. Officers returned fire and two suspects, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, were hit by gunfire. Both suspects were transported to a nearby hospital. The 18-year-old, identified as Jaylen Lobley, did not survive. He has a criminal history and was released from jail on his own recognizance in March for past crimes.

Interim Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis said that Officer McKinney did not survive his injuries and the second officer was rushed to Regional One in critical condition. Once at the hospital, their condition was upgraded to non-critical. A third officer was grazed by gunfire and treated for minor injuries. 

One of the suspects was immediately taken into custody. Another suspect ran off, but was caught by police shortly after. Police said that Lobley was the suspect who shot and killed Officer McKinney as well as the other two officers who were shot in the incident. Davis said that Lobley shot McKinney and the two other officers with a Glock switch, which is a device that converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully-automatic sub-machine gun.

According to court records, Lobley was arrested in March 2024 for possessing such a switch while stealing a car, admitting to stealing both an Infiniti Q50 and Dodge Charger, both of which were reported stolen on March 2nd and March 3rd. Officers found the handgun after arresting Lobley on March 5th. At the time, he told investigators that he took the gun from a car he was trying to steal six months prior. 

For that incident, he was charged with two counts of motor vehicle theft, unlawful possession of a weapon, prohibited weapon and two counts of vandalism. Two days later, on March 7th, he was released on his own recognizance. This type of release came with certain stipulations including agreeing to weekly call-ins and a curfew. This was approved by the General Sessions court. The judge who granted the release was not named in the Shelby County judicial system. 

A statement was released by Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy in which he said that the bond was granted by a Shelby County judicial commissioner after a hearing where his office argued against lowering the bond because the suspect posed a danger to the community. Mulroy said that Lobley was also facing federal prosecution, despite being a first-time offender because the prosecution aligned with his firm's violent crime initiative.

He said, "What we do know is that at the time of this offense, one of the suspects, Jaylen Lobley, was released in March on ROR with various conditions including reporting and curfew. This bond was granted by a Shelby County Judicial Commissioner following a hearing where our office strongly argued against lowering the bond, citing the defendant's danger to the community. Despite our arguments, the Commissioner approved the ROR bond."

He added, "My office was actively prioritizing the Lobley case, identifying him as a high-risk offender and reviewing his file as part of our Project Safe Neighborhoods state-federal partnership. Even though Lobley was a first-time offender, his case had been accepted for Federal prosecution. This is consistent with my firm belief, made a part of our "V11" violent crime initiative, that individuals found with stolen cars and guns, or found with Glock switches, can pose a danger and must be dealt with accordingly."

Lobley was scheduled to reappear in court for a preliminary hearing on April 30th, but died in the officer-involved shooting with Memphis police on April 12th.

The City of Memphis released a statement regarding the incident, "We, the Memphis City Council, are deeply saddened by the act of violence that took place last night, resulting in the shooting of two MPD officers, and the death of one officer, Officer Joseph McKinney. We stand alongside the people of Memphis and offer our thoughts and prayers for the recovery of those injured, and express our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and loves ones that Officer McKinney leaves behind."