A sweeping coordinated operation by federal and local law enforcement on Jan. 15 resulted in the recovery of four missing children and the seizure of illicit firearms, alongside dozens of arrests targeting violent offenders and fugitives.
The Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) executed the operation last Wednesday, resulting in 39 criminal arrests. While the sting netted a wide variety of charges, three specific arrests highlight the severity of the alleged crimes, ranging from attempted murder to child exploitation.
Among those taken into custody was 21-year-old Kevon Wilson, who is facing charges including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated robbery.
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Wilson’s charges stem from a violent encounter on Jan. 5 in the 3400 block of Point Pleasant Avenue. According to investigators, Memphis police found a juvenile victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the left forearm. The victim told detectives that he and his girlfriend were approached by suspects demanding money. When the teenager refused, the situation escalated. As the couple attempted to run, a suspect opened fire. The victim reported looking back to see Wilson firing a rifle at them.
The task force also closed the net on a months-long investigation into a shooting from the summer of 2025. Kobe Hill, 18, was arrested on warrants for attempted second-degree murder and reckless endangerment.
Hill is accused of being involved in a June 17 incident where a woman and her daughter were trapped inside a home on Shayne Lane as ten shots were fired into the residence. A month later, officers recovered a Glock 20 pistol and several phones from a stolen vehicle. Ballistics linked the Glock to the casings found at the scene of the shooting.
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Authorities say a search of Hill’s iPhone uncovered damning digital evidence: a video showing Hill in the backseat of a car, with another suspect in the front seat holding weapons, filmed just minutes before the shots rang out on Shayne Lane.
In a separate arrest during the sweep, officers apprehended 26-year-old Jesse Johnson on Broad Avenue. Johnson was wanted in Nevada County, Arkansas, on a massive indictment involving 60 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. He is currently held in the Shelby County Jail awaiting extradition.
“Every arrest is the product of teamwork, coordination, and a relentless commitment to protecting this community through collaboration,” said U.S. Marshals Service Chief Inspector Chad Hunt, who serves as Commander of the task force.
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The MSTF, a multi-agency body involving federal, state, and local police as well as the Tennessee National Guard, launched in September 2025. In the months since, the unit has reported aggressive numbers: 5,283 total arrests, 853 illegal firearms seized, and 148 missing children located.
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