Troops in Memphis to aid in crime fighting

For two weeks, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops after President Trump announced his intention to deploy them to the city. On Friday, residents finally learned more about that plan, and it looks to be very different from the deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

- BY JONATHAN MATTISE AND TRAVIS LOLLER

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Friday that the troops will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city that includes 13 federal agencies and state troopers. The National Guard troops will be from Tennessee, and they will be deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service to support local law enforcement.

The Republican governor said the troops will not make arrests and will not be armed unless local law enforcement officials request it. Lee has previously said he doesn't think there will be more than 150 Guard members deployed to Memphis, but he later said the number is still in the planning stages.

A post on the city's website says, "Guardsmen and women will be easily identifiable in their standard uniforms that they wear every day. The guardsmen and women will not be wearing masks." It continues: "Armored tanks will not be a resource used in this mission."

"The story of crime in Memphis is about to be a story of the past," Lee said at a news conference in Memphis, where he stood with city, state and federal officials including the Memphis mayor and police chief.