By John Howell
The Panola County Sheriff’s Department is receiving investigation assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) into a Tuesday night shooting that injured the son of a sheriff’s department employee.

Chief Deputy Chris Franklin said that the department requested MBI assistance to avoid an appearance of conflict of interest.

Darrius Smith III, age 19, was struck by gunfire from an unknown assailant about 10 p.m. Nov. 4 at Stewart Manor on Patton Lane, just outside Batesville city limits, sheriff’s department investigator Bryan Arnold said.

The victim is the son of Deputy Sheriff Darrius Smith. MBI Agent Heath Farrish is seeking to identify the shooter.

“We’re assisting them any way we can,” Arnold said.

Smith sustained non-life threatening injuries. He was initially treated at Tri-Lakes Medical Center and then transferred to University Medical Center for surgery and has since returned home, according to Arnold.

Anyone with information that will help investigators find the shooter can call the sheriff’s department at 563-6230 or MBI at 563-6400. Anyone who wants to provide confidential information that could bring a cash reward can call Crimestoppers at 800-729-2169.