Officer & Suspect killed in shootout

[TheeBadOne]

Officer Photo


JACKSON (AP) - A veteran Jackson motorcycle officer and a suspected car highjacker were both killed in a shootout Thursday, authorities said.

Lt. Robert Graham, a police spokesman, said the officer, Thomas Catchings, who has been a member of the force since 1995, was shot in the abdomen. The officer was taken to the University Medical Center where he died shortly before 5 p.m.

Graham said the suspect, 18-year-old Omar Hampton, was also transported to a hospital but had died.

The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. near an elementary school.

"The officer noticed a vehicle that he had just heard on a (police) broadcast was suspected of being taken in a carjacking in the Westland Plaza area. He then radioed in that he was trying to stop the vehicle and called for backup," Graham said.

He said the dispatcher notified other units but when he tried to check back with the officer "he would not answer his radio."

"Apparently before he had a chance to call for help and before other officers could arrive, fire was exchanged," Graham said.

"From the preliminary investigation, it appears the suspect vehicle had either stopped or ran off the road into a ditch and the suspect got out," Graham said. "The suspect then shot the officer and the suspect also was shot."


web page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Officer was off-duty at the time.