A dispute at a Kroger distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee, escalated into a fatal encounter, ending the life of Jacoby Hopson Sr. A 39-year-old Black man, Hopson was a father and a high school football coach. The incident, which occurred on December 26, 2024, began as a verbal altercation between Hopson and his 55-year-old coworker, Anderson Todd.
Witnesses reported hearing the two men shouting profanities at each other.
According to accounts, Hopson invited Todd to an area of the warehouse without cameras to fight, an invitation Todd reportedly declined. The confrontation then turned physical, with one witness stating that Hopson pulled Todd's skull cap over his face. It was at this point that Todd allegedly began swinging his arms in a stabbing motion. A coworker who intervened to stop the fight saw Hopson collapse. He had been stabbed multiple times.
Another witness heard screaming and ran to the scene to find Hopson bleeding on the floor as Todd walked away. Todd then waited in the breakroom for law enforcement to arrive. Paramedics pronounced Hopson dead at the scene shortly after 9 a.m. He was a father of five, and his family described him as a great father and provider. He was also an assistant football coach at Lake Cormorant High School, where he coached one of his sons.
Anderson Todd was arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with Hopson's death. Todd's attorney has argued that his actions were in self-defense. In a court hearing on April 15, his charge was reduced to voluntary manslaughter, and the case was sent to a grand jury. Todd was released from jail after posting a $200,000 bond on December 31, 2024.
