Quinton Yates, Possession of an Unregistered Shotgun with a Barrel Less Than 18 Inches, Tennessee 2018

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Memphis Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Shoot-Out with Police

A convicted felon has been handed a 15-year prison sentence for a brazen shoot-out with Memphis police officers.

Quinton Yates, 50, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and for Possession of an Unregistered Shotgun with a Barrel Less Than 18 Inches, said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant.

The shoot-out occurred on August 23, 2018, on Young Street when detectives from the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit were conducting a drug investigation. Yates exited a residence and began firing shots at the detectives, who leapt into their vehicles to clear the line of fire.

As one of the detectives returned fire, Yates retreated inside the house. A SWAT team set up a barricade around the house, and a standoff ensued. Several hours later, Yates and three other individuals who were in the home surrendered.

Law enforcement recovered three firearms, including an assault rifle, a sawed-off barrel shotgun, and a .22 long rifle caliber revolver. Yates admitted to opening fire on the detectives from the residence but stated he did not know they were police officers.

Yates is a convicted felon with prior convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, and carjacking. He was still on parole at the time of the shooting incident, making him an armed career criminal under the federal sentencing guidelines. As a result, Yates was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months.

On February 3, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Yates to 188 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, as seen in this case. Yates was an armed career criminal who continued to possess and use multiple firearms while on parole for violent felonies. This sentence is just punishment for such a brazen attack on police, and will incapacitate him from committing additional gun violence for a significant period of time, making us all safer."