Markell Atkins

Markell Atkins, 36, was shot and killed by officers serving a warrant in Memphis on February 4, 2015; officials alleged a knife confrontation, while relatives challenged how officers entered.

What happened

On February 4, 2015, a law-enforcement team including U.S. Marshals task-force personnel attempted to arrest Markell Atkins at a residence in the Vernon Avenue area of Memphis. Atkins was wanted on a murder charge connected to the death of a child; the charge was unresolved when he was killed. Authorities said Atkins confronted officers with a knife and was shot. Family witnesses disputed that framing, describing officers forcing entry and opening fire. These are competing accounts rather than independently settled facts. Atkins, 36, died at the scene. Because the police operation ended his life before his case could be tried, his outstanding criminal allegation should not be written as a conviction. News and tracking records confirm the officer-involved shooting, its location, and the disputed descriptions of the confrontation; the available source material does not resolve whether deadly force was necessary.

Investigation & findings

An investigation was reported after the shooting. No independently verified final prosecutorial determination was located in this pass; the preexisting murder accusation was not an adjudicated conviction.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records