Shannon Street massacre
1983 Memphis shootout
The Shannon Street massacre was a shootout and standoff between law enforcement and religious leaders at a house on Shannon Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, United States from January 11 to January 13, 1983. Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers Ray Schwill and Bobby Hester were called to the house after which a confrontation ensued and Hester was taken hostage by men inside the house. After a 30 hour standoff, an MPD SWAT team stormed the house and opened fire, killing all seven captors, after which Hester was found beaten to death. The MPD's handling of the incident was controversial and led to changes in the department's procedure.
Incident
On January 11, 1983, MPD units were called to a house at 2239 Shannon Avenue to investigate an alleged purse snatching. Inside the home was Lindberg Sanders—an African-American man who called himself "Black Jesus"—and thirteen other men who were his followers, along with one man, who tagged along with one of the followers. Sanders harbored a strong hatred for law enforcement and had told his followers that the world would end on January 10, 1983.
Officers Ray Schwill and Bobby Hester responded to the call. Seven people fled the house at this point, but were later captured. Upon arrival, Schwill and Hester were ambushed by the remaining seven men in the house.
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