Just after 2:00 am, Monday April 13, 2020, a Jackson police officer responded to a burglary call in the 900 block of E. Fortification Street. (Fenians and Corner Market) Once on scene, the officer came into contact with the suspect, called for the suspect to freeze, and a physical altercation ensued where the suspect was armed with a screwdriver.
During the altercation, a witness called 911 stating that an officer needed assistance. Following the physical altercation, the suspect fled on a bicycle toward the intersection of Davis and West Streets, into a neighborhood, and hid himself in a crawl space under an abandoned house.
At this time, while the responding officer was in pursuit of the suspect, several JPD officers arrived on scene as back up. Once the suspect was located hiding under the abandoned house, several attempts were made to remove the suspect from the crawl space, including the use of verbal commands and OC spray.
Firefighters from the Jackson Fire Department then stepped in to assist by cutting an access hole in the floor of the abandoned house to enable officers to apprehend the suspect, during which time officers deployed the use of a taser several times to subdue the suspect – which proved unsuccessful.
Officers then attempted to reach in and pull the suspect out from under the house, during which time the suspect brandished a screwdriver.
Around 4:30 am, after ignoring several verbal commands for the suspect to drop his weapon, the suspect attempted to attack the police officers with the screwdriver, resulting in one of the officers discharging their service weapon.
The suspect was shot in the torso and succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy will be performed by the Hinds County Coroner to determine the exact cause of death.
