‘I overreacted’: Man seen carrying rifle on street responds
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man who went walking in his Midtown neighborhood holding an assault-style rifle told Memphis Police he was carrying the weapon because “Memphis is a dangerous place.”
That’s according to a police report of Monday’s incident on Peabody Avenue near Cooper Street, which left neighbors in a panic and led to a lockdown of a nearby preschool and elementary.
“I just keep picturing him sitting outside my daughters’ schools and shooting at them,” one person posted on Facebook above a photo of the man that circulated on social media.
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The man who was pictured in the photos was Derek Winn, according to an address and phone number on file with the Shelby County Election Commission from Winn’s campaign for Memphis mayor this year.
On Wednesday, Winn sent a text response to WREG saying that he was being followed by people stalking his route to work.
“I overreacted and open carried on my way to/from work and ppl freaked out and tbh I don’t blame them,” he wrote, continuing, “Not going to happen again”.
Police say they received two calls less than an hour apart Monday. They responded but could not find the man. However, they received information that he lived in the neighborhood near where he was seen.
When officers arrived at his house, they said the man who lived there admitted he was carrying the rifle and said he had no intention of harming anyone. He told police he was just carrying the rifle for protection.
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Police did a background check and said he had no criminal history, and officers did not notice signs of mental illness. Police returned the rifle to the man and no charges were filed.
In most cases, it is legal in Tennessee to openly carry a weapon.
Winn received 57 votes in the Oct. 5 city mayor’s race. He ran on a platform of abolishing zoning, according to online information.
‘Trigger law’ gun referendum moves forward in Memphis city council vote
Earlier this year, Memphis City Council approved a ballot measure that would make it illegal to purchase assault weapons in the city, ban handguns without a permit and enact red flag laws for people who may cause a danger. That measure, if enacted, could face a court challenge.
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