This week, authorities say the Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy who claimed a man had shot him in the chest has officially resigned.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office responded in late July to an alleged shooting which injured one of their own. The on-duty sheriff deputy who was shot told his fellow colleagues he was parked on the side of the street filling out paperwork when a middle aged man driving a white pick-up truck pulled up behind him, got out of his truck and shot him with a handgun.
The officer was not seriously injured. It is believed his life was spared in large part to the fact that he was wearing his bullet proof vest when the shooting occurred. The officer was air lifted to USA Medical Center in Mobile and authorities from all around the Coast immediately began to search for the suspect believed to be responsible their comrades assault.
Harrison County deputies, at the time, did not wear body cameras, the department spent countless hours looking for possible video footage at businesses nearby in hopes an image of the suspect would surface. Several neighboring agencies did what they could to assist in the desperate search and a helicopter was even used to fly above the area to provide a birds eye view. At least two persons of interest were interviewed soon after the incident but all to no avail.
Department policy on officer-involved shootings require an investigation into the incident.
Last month, the Biloxi Police Department’s conclusions on their part rocked the public when authorities said in a press conference that absolutely no evidence of a second party at the scene was found. They also said the weapon fired in the shooting, in fact, belonged to the deputy himself.
As is custom, MBI also provided an independent investigation. Their investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
The officer’s identity has yet to be released. Harrison County Sheriff Troy Peterson did confirm the deputy had been with the department for at least 8 years. Why he resigned remains a mystery at this time.
