PRESS RELEASE: Convicted Felon Who Assaulted Officer Sentenced to Over 7 Years

Memphis, TN - A federal judge recently sentenced a Memphis man to more than 7 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on November 2, 2022, officers approached a black Infiniti G37 backed into a parking space in front of a BP gas station in the Whitehaven community. Because of a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, the officers told the driver, Tracey Shaw, 27, to roll down his window. Shaw refused; instead, he started the Infiniti and accelerated out of the parking lot, striking one of the officers with the car. Shaw then led officers on a car chase eastbound on Shelby Drive reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. After Shaw crashed the Infiniti on Tchulahoma Road, he fled on foot and hid in the backyard of a nearby residence. Officers arrested Shaw and recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol with a 22-round extended magazine that Shaw had concealed behind the residence.

On August 16, 2023, Shaw pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Shaw on May 2, 2024, to 92 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The PSN Gun Task Force investigated this case for federal prosecution with assistance from the Memphis Police Department.

United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Regina Thompson, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.