The Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) has reported a sweep of operations that resulted in multiple arrests and confiscation of illegal firearms, as well as the recovery of a missing child. During the overnight maneuvers, authorities executed 33 criminal arrests, seized eight firearms, and safely located a juvenile who had been reported missing. These efforts were part of a broader mission to stem the tide of violent crime in Memphis neighborhoods.
A juvenile was arrested at an apartment complex on the 3100 block of Madewell Avenue after MSTF officers answered a call of shots fired. The juvenile, running from the officers, allegedly discarded a weapon while in pursuit. According to a press release by the U.S. Marshals Service, the seized weapon had been altered with a machine gun conversion device, leading to charges including possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, and tampering with evidence.
Separately, Xavier Tavares Stephens faced arrest on multiple counts. During a traffic stop instigated by a malfunctioning headlight in the 3200 block of South Perkins Road, Stephens consented to a vehicle search. MSTF officers found two firearms and a quantity of marijuana, resulting in charges for unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance…