A large-scale operation by federal and local law enforcement on Jan. 15 resulted in the recovery of four missing children, the confiscation of illegal firearms, and 39 arrests targeting violent offenders and fugitives.
The Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) conducted the operation last Wednesday. While charges ranged widely, three arrests particularly highlight the severity of the alleged crimes, including attempted murder and child exploitation.
Among those arrested was 21-year-old Kevon Wilson, charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated robbery.
Wilson’s charges stem from a Jan. 5 incident on the 3400 block of Point Pleasant Avenue, where Memphis police found a juvenile victim shot in the left forearm. Investigators reported the victim and his girlfriend were approached by suspects demanding money. When they refused, the suspects opened fire as the couple tried to flee. The victim said he saw Wilson aiming a rifle at them.
The task force also resolved a months-long probe into a summer 2025 shooting. Kobe Hill, 18, was arrested on warrants for attempted second-degree murder and reckless endangerment.
Hill is accused of firing ten shots into a home on Shayne Lane on June 17, trapping a woman and her daughter inside. Authorities later recovered a Glock 20 and multiple phones from a stolen vehicle, with ballistics linking the gun to the shooting. Hill’s iPhone contained a video showing him in a car with another suspect holding weapons, just minutes before the attack.
In a separate arrest, 26-year-old Jesse Johnson was taken into custody on Broad Avenue. Johnson faced a 60-count indictment in Nevada County, Arkansas, for distributing, possessing, or viewing sexually explicit material involving children. He is held in Shelby County Jail pending extradition.
“Every arrest reflects teamwork, coordination, and a relentless commitment to protecting this community,” said U.S. Marshals Service Chief Inspector Chad Hunt, MSTF Commander.
The MSTF, launched in September 2025 and composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement alongside the Tennessee National Guard, has since achieved 5,283 arrests, seized 853 illegal firearms, and recovered 148 missing children.