Mississippi man arrested for stealing officer’s personal vehicle, using it in drive-by shooting
Published 9:17 pm Monday, June 26, 2023
Natchez police arrested a man thought to have stolen an officer’s personal vehicle and later used it in a drive-by shooting on Juneteenth at Maryland Heights apartments, which injured a juvenile female.
Jacarius Moore, 19, has been charged with aggravated assault, drive-by shooting, grand larceny and shooting into a dwelling in relation to the theft of a Miss-Lou officer’s vehicle and shooting at Maryland Heights apartments, said Natchez Police Department Investigator Jerry Ford.
Police also arrested a juvenile connected to the same incident. Ford said the juvenile could be charged as an adult in the case.
Gunshots rang out at approximately 2:40 a.m. Monday, June 19, at the Maryland Heights apartments at 203 Watts Avenue, hitting three vehicles and causing injury to one juvenile female, said Natchez Police Chief Cal Green after the incident.
A Miss-Lou police officer had reported his personal vehicle, a white Ford pickup, being stolen the same night.
“A vehicle fitting that description was reported seen in the area of the drive-by shooting (at 203 Watts Ave.),” Ford said. “Witnesses stated that several rounds were fired back toward a red (Nissan) Altima, striking the front windshield. One of the bullets grazed one of the passengers and glass hit her in the arms and chest area. Two other apartments had shots fired into them as well, and two other vehicles were also damaged in that shooting.”
The young woman was transported to Merit Health Natchez and later to a hospital in Jackson for non-life-threatening injuries, Ford said.
Just two days later, on Wednesday, June 21, police responded to another shooting at Holiday Apartments. Jordan Knight, 20, was killed and two others were injured.
“(During that incident) officers recovered evidence that linked back to the stolen vehicle,” Ford said. “Officers were able to recover the stolen vehicle that linked the suspect to the shooting on Watts Avenue.”
Ford said more details couldn’t be released as investigators are still piecing together the case at Holiday Apartments. “It’s still an ongoing investigation,” he said.
