Mississippi deputies fatally shoot veteran who was firing gun near restaurants
Published 5:26 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2019
A military veteran has been shot and killed by Mississippi deputies responding to a report of a man shooting a gun near several restaurants.
It appears the man killed in late Sunday shooting suffered from severe mental health issues, District Attorney John Champion told reporters at a news conference.
He declined to identify the man, pending notification of his next of kin, who are in California.
Responding DeSoto County deputies pulled the man over and ordered him out of the car, but he refused, Champion said.
Video shows the man apparently firing a shot at the deputies, who fired in response, shooting and killing the man while he was in the car, he said.
Seven deputies have been placed on paid leave.
No one else was wounded, Champion said. The deputies weren’t wearing body cameras, though they did have dash cameras, he said.
The state Bureau of Investigation is heading the ongoing investigation.