The fallen officer has been identified as Officer Demetrice Johnson, 34. The critically injured officer has not been identified, the Commercial Appeal reports.
The wounded man was also apparently killed in the crash.
The crash occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Officers responded and found a gray Nissan and an MPD patrol vehicle had collided. Three men were found to be severely injured at the scene.
Officer Johnson and the driver of the gray Nissan were pronounced dead at a local hospital, MPD said in a Facebook statement . The second officer was hospitalized and in critical condition as of Friday afternoon.
Memphis Police said, "The preliminary investigation revealed the driver of the gray Nissan was also suffering from a gunshot wound," MPD said in the statement. "The cause of the crash and the location of the initial shooting are still under investigation."
The initial shooting happened about 2 miles away from where the crash happened, according to MPD.
"Preliminary information indicates there was a disagreement between the deceased male shooting victim and a male at the scene," MPD said. "No charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing."
Officer Johnson joined the Memphis Police Department in 2023. He graduated from the police academy in March 2024.
Johnson is survived by his wife and young son, the Commercial Appeal reports.