JPD chief addresses Sunday officer-involved shooting that left officer, suspect hospitalized
During a Monday morning press conference, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade provided updates on a Sunday officer-involved shooting in North Jackson and more details on the recent homicides in Jackson.
Wade said officers with the Jackson Police Department responded Sunday morning to a domestic call near the 2100 block of Jamestown Way in North Jackson.
When JPD arrived at the location, an officer walked towards the scene to assess the situation. Wade said the suspect got into a physical altercation with the officer. The suspect's name is not being released at this time.
Wade said when the suspect attempted to flee the scene, he struck the officer with a vehicle. Wade said the officer then discharged his weapon, striking the suspect "causing non-life-threatening injuries."
According to Wade, the suspect is expected to recover but will be "held accountable for his actions."
The officer involved received injuries to his leg and foot from being struck by the vehicle, Wade said. Wade shared that the officer is a "relatively new officer" but "a good officer."
According to Wade, the officer is expected to be "back on the job soon" but will need to be "emotionally, psychologically cleared" before he returns to his duties.
“This (situation) shows us that we still have a population that is lawless, reckless and does not respect authority. ... I want to let the citizens of Jackson know that we will continue to press forward against lawlessness, recklessness and the lack of authority here in the city of Jackson," Wade said.
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According to Wade, JPD responds to an average of 6,000 calls for service a week and a “minimum” of those calls are officer-involved shootings.
Wade said the police force deals with "evil every single day in our community," but JPD never wants to escalate a situation or be the aggressors. Wade said JPD wants to deescalate a situation.
"I don't want any citizens to lose their life in the hands of a Jackson police officer, and I don't want any Jackson police officer to lose their life in the hands of a citizens here in the city of Jackson," Wade said.
MBI is currently assessing the shooting and gathering evidence. Upon completing the investigation, agents will share their findings with the Attorney General's Office.
Wade said JPD is also conducting an internal investigation to look at if the officer involved followed proper protocols. Wade said if the officer did not follow police policies, the officer will be released from the force.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
Homicides in Jackson as of Sept. 9
For the first week of September 2024, Jackson saw four homicides, which is equivalent to the number of homicides JPD investigated for the entire month of August 2024.
As of Sept. 9, JPD has a 75% solvability rate with 60 of 79 homicide case solved by the department.
Wade said he was pleased with the solvability rate, but he would much rather the deceased individuals didn't lose their lives.
"Like I said before and I will continue to say, it can be your family next. It's their family now whose loved one's life was taken, it could be your family next if we don't stand together and hold these individuals accountable for their actions," Wade said.
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Here are the details for the most recent homicides in Jackson:
On Sunday, Sept. 1, a 60-year-old man was fatally shot in the 1600 block of Raymond Road at Chapel Ridge Apartments.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, police found an unidentified victim dead inside of a vehicle. Police said the victim had multiple gunshot wounds.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, a man allegedly assaulted his 63-year-old mother who then died from blunt force trauma. Wade provided more details Monday on this shooting stating the 42-year-old suspect was "under the influence of drugs." Wade said it's a major issue when "drugs impact your decision making so much that you take the life of the person who brought you too this earth." Wade said drug addiction in the community must be addressed "holistically."
On Thursday, Sept. 5, an individual's body was found on Maddox Road and TV Road in South Jackson. Police learned the unidentified victim was shot and died at the scene. Wade said Monday police does have a person of interest in this case, but the person's identity has not been released at this time.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Jackson Police Department at 601-960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 601-355-8477.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS police officer and suspect hospitalized after altercation
