Chase ends in Holly Springs


Thursday, June 21, 2012
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Chase ends in Holly Springs

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Marshall County deputies assisted DeSoto County officers in the apprehension of four subjects Monday when a chase flowed over into Marshall County.

Maj. David Cook became aware of a pursuit by DeSoto County officers of a gold Crown Victoria along Highway 178. Marshall and DeSoto patrol units, K-9 officers and the DeSoto County helicopter were involved in the pursuit of the vehicle into the Victoria area. The chase continued along Victoria Road, south to Hernando Road and then into the city of Holly Springs.

“The driver of the vehicle had made numerous attempts to ram officers’ vehicles with the Crown Victoria during the efforts to stop the car in the Victoria area,” sheriff Kenny Dickerson said.

Officers were unsuccessful in disabling the Crown Victoria with traffic spikes thrown out to puncture tires, he said.

The chase ended in front of the Holly Springs Primary School on Maury Street where the vehicle wrecked. Two individuals were taken into custody. A man thought to be the driver and another suspect fled into the woods near the school.

DeSoto County’s helicopter helped in the aerial search for the subjects while K-9 units assisted with the ground search.

The remaining two subjects at large were taken into custody without incident after about an hour search in the area.

Dickerson said the four subjects and the Crown Victoria were returned to DeSoto County for booking. The suspects may also be charged in Marshall County, he said.

The sheriff praised K-9 handler Mike Garner and deputy Matt Wilson for their pursuit of the two suspects through very dense vegetation.

One suspect had a minor injury from the K-9 and was treated by medics at the scene.

“The officers are to be commended for their physical condition to do this as well as the condition of the dog,” Dickerson said.

Two of the four suspects were determined afterward to have outstanding felony arrest warrants, Dickerson said. One suspect was thought to be from Arkansas and the others from Panama City, Fla., he said.

The suspects appeared to be of Hispanic ethnicity and had tattoos covering their torsos that appeared to be Latino gang tattoos, he said.

Dickerson praised officers with both county sheriff’s departments and officers with the Holly Springs Police Department who helped secure the scene and provide a safe and successful ending of the pursuit for both suspects and law enforcement teams.

Suicide threat

In other news, a male subject threatening suicide Thursday, June 14, was safely taken in and sent to a mental health facility, according to Dickerson.

The sheriff’s department received a call around 11 a.m. that a person in the 200 block of Anderson Road had taken some prescription medicines that were thought to be causing him to want to commit suicide, the sheriff said.

Officers were informed by the subject’s mother that he had gone into the woods behind the residence with a rifle.

Officers tried to get the subject to put his weapon down and surrender himself shortly after the man came out of the woods.

“After several minutes of negotiations with the subject, he became belligerent and irate and threatened deputies,” said Dickerson. “He proceeded back to the residence and threatened to harm himself. After a short time he took his gun and went back into the woods.”

The subject fired the rifle several times after going back into the woods, he said.

As the standoff continued, Marshall County’s SWAT team was called in to assist with the taking in of the subject. The woods were very large and the SWAT team and K-9 unit from DeSoto County was called to help search.

“After a lengthy search and standoff, the individual was taken into custody and later transported to Tupelo for medical assistance,” the sheriff said. “No charges have been filed at this time.”

Dickerson praised his investigative team for the successful resolution of the incident with no harm to either the subject or law officers.

“Officers do not always have to use deadly force,” he said.

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