Abdoulaye Thiam
Birth date:
January 1, 1999
Death date:
January 3, 2019
Age at Death:
20
About
The Thiam family moved from Mbour, Senegal (West Africa) in 2008 and lived in their Memphis home for seven years. Mr. Thiam was a Sheffield High School graduate who played soccer and spent a great deal of time with his father. His father says his son was a hard worker and always did what he was told. The family isn’t sure what led to the shooting. They say Thiam was outside at the time and his brother was inside the house when the police arrived. The family also stated Mr. Thiam had been given a mental health evaluation the prior year and was on medication as a result.
Per Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Thiam was shot four times by 3 of the 4 responding police officers after he approached them while holding a knife. Mr. Thiam came into contact with the Memphis PD outside his home after they responded to a domestic disturbance call. MPD says Mr. Thiam "confronted" the officers and "ran toward them with a knife." It is noteworthy that only Mr. Thiam and his brother were home when the police arrived. Unclear who made the 911 call but law enforcement says the call came from someone inside the home. Source: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/01/03/abdoulaye-thiam-shot-memphis-police-whitehaven/2472852002/
Was justice served?
No. The three officers were found to have been justified in their actions, with statements made that the police had been called to the home before for violence and mental health checks. The boy had a knife, and how is it appropriate for three officers to shoot one man with a knife? Body cam video was reviewed but did not change the outcome.