4 fatal shootings by Mississippi law officers were justified, state’s attorney general says

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

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

One shooting happened May 16, 2023, and involved four Meridian Police Department officers, the attorney general said. A man entered the lobby of an assisted care facility and threatened employees with a pistol before officers were called. The man barricaded himself inside the facility, and officers killed him after encountering him with a weapon, police said.

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

On July 13, 2023, a 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 weapon at deputies, said Bailey Martin, the state Department of Public Safety spokesperson.

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 an officer then killed the man.