Court dates pushed back for suspects involved in shooting of Memphis police officer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The three people charged in a stolen car investigation-turned-ambush appeared in Shelby County court for the first time Friday.

That investigation Wednesday afternoon led to three people being hospitalized with injuries, including two Memphis police officers.

The three men are each facing nine charges, with two accused of ambushing and shooting an officer.

Kayvus Jones, 23, Keyon Moore, 19, and Zancarrion Johnson, now 19, are the men charged in this incident.

Friday, Judge Joeseph Luchessi denied bond for Johnson and Moore, who are both charged with attempted murder.

Jones, who is not charged in the actual shooting of the officer, was given a $350,000 bond.

“It happens when you have a case like this with a LEO being injured and the way he was injured,” Assistant District Attorney Joseph Griffith said. “The commissioner sought fit for no bond set. I assume their attorney will ask for bond but they haven’t done that yet.”

Prosecutors expect a fourth person to be charged as well.

But for now, the three will be assigned an attorney and will be back in court on September 9.

Johnson is the youngest person charged, celebrating his 19th birthday in Shelby County jail.

Memphis police say as they were looking for stolen vehicles in the South Memphis area before the shooting.

When officers began to leave the area, More and Johnson, both armed, followed an MPD officer, waited for him and ambushed him shooting at him and eventually hitting him in the right abdomen.

This was all caught on surveillance.

Police say Moore and Johnson then left the scene in a stolen Infiniti with another person, later identified as Jones.

While the officer that was shot fled for safety, other officers chased the three men.

Police say it was a 12-mile chase including the help of a helicopter.

The three were later detained and officers found seven guns in their possession.

The officer who was shot is home recovering. Another officer was injured in a crash related to the incident; the officer remains hospitalized.

So does a bystander who was also injured in the crash.

The three men all remain in Shelby County jail without bond.

They will be in court for a video arraignment Friday.

We will have a reporter in the courtroom and bring you the latest info on Action News 5.

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