Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies with the Street Crimes Bureau arrested a man today who sold a gun to a convicted felon. The man arrested in the sting was the same person who sold a pistol to the man who killed a Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy in December of 2002.

Street Crimes Deputies received information that Jonathan Jermaine Upchurch, 24, of Memphis, was selling guns to convicted felons. Deputies then conducted a sting and witnessed Upchurch sell a gun to a man he knew had been convicted of a felony.

The sting led to Upchurch being indicted by a Federal Grand Jury. As a result of the indictment, Street Crimes Deputies, assisted by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team arrested Upchurch this morning at a Frayser Apartment building at 1135 Frayser Boulevard.

Deputies say it was Upchurch who sold a pistol to Reginald Rome, the man who killed Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy George Selby on the night of December 4, 2002.

Jonathan Jermaine Upchurch Reginald Rome Deputy George Selby

Selby, an officer with the Sheriff’s Narcotics Bureau, was killed when he and other Deputies served a narcotics warrant at Rome’s house at 2433 Chattering Lane in Frayser. Rome was convicted in November of 2005 for killing Deputy Selby. Rome was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Although Deputies determined Upchurch sold the gun to Rome, it could never be proven Upchurch knew Rome was a felon at the time of the sale.

Upchurch remains in Federal custody this afternoon in Mason, Tennessee. He has been charged with Unlawful Sale (of a weapon) to a Felon or one under Felony Indictment.