“MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Multiple sources confirmed to FOX13 that 18-year-old Jaylen Lobley is one of the teens in Friday morning’s deadly shootout involving Memphis Police in Whitehaven.

The shootout resulted in the death of one Memphis Police officer and injuries to two others.

In a news conference hours after the shooting interim Police Chief C.J. Davis told FOX13 two teens were in a “suspicious car” on Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue after 2 a.m. Friday morning.

She said the 18-year-old was killed after he fired at officers and officers returned fire on the car. She added the teen was released on his own recognizance in connection to a similar crime last month.

FOX13 Investigates found records showing Jaylen Lobley was arrested in March, charged with theft of property, unlawful possession of a weapon, prohibited weapons, and vandalism.

But days later Lobley was released on his own recognizance, meaning without paying bail, by a General Sessions judge. The conditions of his release included random drug screenings, weekly call ins, and a curfew.

The affidavit from the March arrest shows officers found Lobley asleep in a stolen white Infiniti outside of a Whitehaven home. In that arrest, officers say he was found with two guns, including one with a Glock switch, converting it to a fully automatic gun.

Lobley allegedly admitted to stealing two cars: a red Dodge Charger as well as the white Infiniti.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy issued the following statement regarding Lobley’s release:

“I’m deeply saddened by Officer Joseph McKinney’s passing and extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones, and colleagues at MPD. Upon learning of this tragic incident, I promptly called in TBI to investigate. Consequently, there are limitations on what I can say at this time to avoid compromising TBI’s investigation.

“What we do know is that at the time of this offense, one of the suspects, Jaylen Lobley, was released in March on ROR with various conditions including reporting and curfew. This bond was granted by a Shelby County Judicial Commissioner following a hearing where our office strongly argued against lowering the bond, citing the defendant’s danger to the community. Despite our arguments, the Commissioner approved the ROR bond.

“My office was actively prioritizing the Lobley case, identifying him as a high-risk offender and reviewing his file as part of our Project Safe Neighborhoods state-federal partnership. Even though Lobley was a first-time offender, his case had been accepted for Federal prosecution. This is consistent with my firm belief, made a part of our ‘V11’ violent crime initiative, that individuals found with stolen cars and guns, or found with Glock switches, can pose a danger and must be dealt with accordingly.

“We trust the TBI to conduct a thorough investigation. Once it’s concluded, we’ll review the findings to determine appropriate next steps.“ (Courtesy Fox13Memphis.com)

Reading about the attack on those law enforcement officers got me to wondering how the city I grew up in, my Hometown, the “City of Good Abode”, became a war-torn and ruined shell of a once wonderful city, following in the footsteps of  Chicago and Detroit.

I think I know.

One Christmas afternoon, I was sitting in my living room , beside my loving wife, step-son, daughter-in-law, and me then 10-year-old grandson, watching “Despicable Me 3,” which Santa had brought.

As we were watching the movie and dozing off from eating too much, I watched with pride as my grandson remained entranced by the movie as my “kid” had his arm around his son.

As I watched my grandson laying against his Dad, I thought about what a difference having a father makes in a boy’s life.

My father certainly made an everlasting difference in mine. He is the one who led me to Christ, counseling and supporting me, and loving me until he passed away after Christmas in 1997.

I think of him and thank God for him often.

What got me thinking about the role that fathers play in the lives of young men, is all of the gang-related violence, black-on-black homicides, and racial unrest that is happening in our American Cities, like my Hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

In today’s modern culture, the stigma of having a baby out of wedlock is quite frankly no longer a stigma. In our messed-up society, it is actually considered a sign of feminine independence.

Among a lot of the young black male population, it is a sign of prestige to be a player, or, as we used to call it, a “ladies’ man”.

This practice has become so popular that now 72 percent of America’s black population are being born out of wedlock and being raised without a father.

Grandfathers, uncles, clergy, school coaches, and principals try to fill in the gap and help these boys as they grow up, but a boy needs a man around every day of their life.

They need a consistent role model to teach them right from wrong, how to treat women, and how to be a man.

Regardless of what all of the Democrat Pundits say, a male father figure is essential in building a young man’s self- image.

So, what’s the answer?

A song that Elton John came out with during his comeback in the 1980s goes,

“Mama don’t want you
Daddy don’t want you
Give it up, baby, baby
Mama can’t buy you love. “

Far Left Democratic Municipal Governments, such as the one that runs Memphis, can continue to blame their troubles on reminders of a troubling time in American History as an excuse for the violent crime occurring in our major cities.

Or, they can blame the gun, which is an inanimate object that can not fire itself.

And, Municipal and Federal Governments can throw as much money at the problem of gang-related and individually-caused violence as they want to.

However, until this Cycle of Irresponsibility, i.e., irresponsible parents creating irresponsible kids, somehow gets broken, through prayer, education, and community/church involvement, crime will continue to escalate in America’s Cities.

If the parents do not want to love, care for, and raise their children in the way that they should go, the gangs and the other criminals in the “Hood”certainly will.

This is proven by the tremendous rise in “incidents” like the one that occurred in the Whitehaven neighborhood in Memphis on Thursday night.

America does not have a gun problem. We have an evil problem.

And Soros-funded District Attorneys, prosecutors, and judges giving out “cashless bail” is not helping the situation at all.

Until He Comes,

KJ