Four fatal officer-involved shootings were justified, Mississippi attorney general says

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The use of force was justified in four fatal shootings by law enforcement officers in Mississippi last year, Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Wednesday.

Fitch based his findings on investigations by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

A shooting occurred on May 16, 2023, and involved four Meridian Police Department officers, the attorney general said. A man walked into the lobby of an assisted care facility and threatened employees with a gun before officers were called. The man barricaded himself inside the building and officers killed him after encountering him with a gun, police said.

On June 3, 2023, a Union County Sheriff’s Department deputy responded to a domestic disturbance call in Myrtle and shot and killed a man who had a rifle. Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said the deputy fired several shots and retreated.

On July 13, 2023, Harrison County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a call about a burglary in Saucier, north of Gulfport. A sergeant killed a person who pointed a gun at deputies, said Bailey Martin, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety.

On July 16, 2023, two Adams County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a call about a woman who said she had been kidnapped and assaulted by her boyfriend. Sheriff Travis Patten said the boyfriend shot the woman in the stomach and then an officer killed the man.

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