A Tennessee security guard has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot a Black man outside of a Kroger fuel station following a confrontation over loud music.
Gregory Livingston, a 54-year-old Kroger security guard, was charged with second-degree murder after authorities say he shot Alvin Motley in Memphis on Saturday evening at the Kroger Fuel Center on Poplar Avenue.
When Memphis police responded to the Kroger at around 7 p.m., Livingston told officers he had shot a man, identified as Motley. Motley lived in Chicago and had only been in Memphis for a few hours. His girlfriend witnessed the shooting and said an argument over loud music coming from their car preceded the violence.
Police found Motley lying unresponsive near a fuel pump with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Livingston yelled for the music to be turned down, witnesses said. According to Motley’s girlfriend, she told him to get back in the car so they could leave, but he walked toward Livingston and told him “Let’s talk like men.” Next, she heard a gunshot and Motley fell to the ground. Surveillance footage shows that Motley was holding a beer can and cigarette when he approached Livingston.
According to a police affidavit, Livingston pulled his gun on Motley and a bullet struck him in the chest. A different witness identified Livingston, who is a former police officer with the Horn Lake Police Department who served from 1998 until he resigned in 2001, as the person who shot Motley in a lineup. Livingston was due to appear in court on Monday.
Motley’s sister told Action News 5 her brother was an aspiring actor, and entertainer who was filming a reality television show. She wants Livingston’s charges to be upgraded to first-degree murder. He appeared in court for a hearing on Monday morning and is expected to make another appearance next week.
Kroger said in a statement that all questions should be referred to the police department.
“The Kroger Delta Division is working in full cooperation with the Memphis police department. This is an active investigation, therefore; we are deferring all questions to local law enforcement for the integrity of the investigation.”
