Holidays prove to be especially dangerous for law enforcement officers

By Ashley Crutcher
The holidays tend to be the most hectic time of the year and this has been proven to be especially true for law enforcement officials.
On the morning of December 11 Deputy Jeff Still was pursuing a vehicle on Dewberry Street in Sardis when the suspect stopped the vehicle and fled on foot.
According to the incident  report by Investigator Bryan Arnold, as the suspect fled he turned back towards Deputy Still and fired a single shot from a 9mm pistol. According to Investigator Arnold, Deputy Still sustained no injuries from the incident.
The suspect managed to escape capture, but the suspect turned himself in to authorities later that evening. Narcotics were discovered in the vehicle, according to the report. The suspect has been charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
Deputy Steven McLarty was traveling north on I-55 near the rest area when he observed a blue Dodge truck with an Illinois tag weaving on the roadway.
“I got behind the vehicle and followed for about two miles at 85 miles per hour. I activated my blue lights and the vehicle pulled over to the left side of the Interstate onto the median,” Deputy McLarty stated.
Deputy McLarty advised  the driver he pulled her over for careless driving due to the high rate of speed. According to the report, as the driver retrieved her license Deputy McLarty noticed a strong odor of marijuanna coming from the vehicle.
Deputy McLarty asked the driver to step to the back of the vehicle and asked if there was anything in the vehicle. The driver stated there shouldn’t be anything in the vehicle.
“I walked back to the vehicle and opened the driver’s door. I then observed what is known to me to be a roach on the middle console,” Deputy McLarty stated. “Yeah it’s a roach,” the passenger stated.
The passenger reported he had marijuanna and passed a clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance to Deputy McLarty, according to the report. Deputy McLarty asked the passenger to step to the back of the vehicle. Deputy Britton Crawford arrived on the scene to assist with a vehicle inventory.
According to the report, two glass pipes with a white crystal-like residue and another plastic bag containing a white crystal-like substance was found during the vehicle inventory. “Myself and Deputy Crawford were almost struck by an 18 wheeler and a smaller vehicle while checking the front and back passenger side.
Due to officer safety we discontinued the inventory,” stated Deputy McLarty. According to the report, both deputies were advised to take both suspects into custody and have the vehicle towed to the Panola County Sheriff’s Department’s impound lot.
On December 15 a county resident contacted the Sheriff’s office because he hadn’t seen his brother since Tuesday, December 13. The resident reported his brother’s vehicle was also missing from his residence.
According to the report, when deputies arrived they were asked to check the residence at which time they found the brother lying in the living room floor, deceased.
Investigator Bryan Arnold was called to the scene as well as Panola County Coroner Gracie Grant Gulledge. According to the report, it was discovered that the deceased had multiple stab wounds.
The Panola County Sheriff’s Office received 31 reports which required service from Sheriff Deputies from December 9 to December 16.
December 9
• Deputy Maurice Market was dispatched to Pope Water Valley Road in reference to shots fired. Upon arrival Deputy Market spoke to the victim who stated he received a call from an individual who needed help getting his vehicle out of a ditch.
According to the report, the individual was bleeding from an altercation where some men attacked him. The individual became upset after he told the victim the men had permission to be on the property. According to the report, the individual grabbled the victim and began pushing him and hitting him in the chest.
The victim reported he started going back to his truck to leave when the individual began chasing him and shooting at his vehicle. The victim stated he lost the individual on Chapel Hill Road.
Investigator Arnold was notified of the incident. According to the report, the victim stated he does not want to press charges at this time.
• Deputy McLarty responded to Pope Water Valley Road for a report of missing property. Upon arrival Deputy McLarty spoke to an individual who stated he arrived at the address to check the pipes and noticed some appliances missing.
The individual stated he did not know when the items went missing nor did he know if it was stolen or if another contractor removed the items. Deputy McLarty checked the property and didn’t see any damage or signs of forced entry, according to the report.
The individual stated the appliances were valued at a total of $3,000.
• Freeman Road, Como resident reported to Deputy George Renfroe he was out of town from December 7 to December 9 and upon returning home he noticed his front door was damaged and a window was busted out of the home.
According to the report, the home was trashed and the resident was missing a .22 rifle, .32 pistol, Harley Davidson jacket and a 42” Sony TV. Investigator Arnold was notified of the incident.
• A check of the hangars by the Panola County Airport revealed that one hangar had several vehicles in it and one of the vehicles, a 2005 Mercedes, was on blocks with no motor.
A check of the VIN number revealed to Investigator Terry Smith the vehicle was stolen out of Memphis in October of 2014, according to the report.
A search warrant was conducted and contact was made with the renter. The renter stated he buys vehicles off of Craigslist and junkyards for replacement parts. According to the report, he bought the vehicle off of Craigslist with no title.
The renter stated he didn’t think anything of it and he put the motor from the car into another Mercedes. An investigation will continue into this recovered auto and other items located at the hangar.
• Investigator Smith spoke with an individual who reported he left his side by side with a friend to keep for him. According to the report, the friend traded the side by side for a truck. The individual was advised to take the suspect to Civil Court.
December 11
Fulmer Road, Como resident reported to Deputy Crawford she was washing the childrens clothes when she discovered a small tin foil pack containing a white powder like residue. According to the report, the resident knew the substance was narcotics due to the children’s parents being chronic users of narcotics.
The resident stated she has made complaints to the Department of Human Services but none have been followed through on and also stated one case worker told her to leave the parents alone.
• Investigator Arnold received a report of a missing person from a Magnolia Street, Pope resident who reported she hasn’t heard from her sister who left the day before with a firearm.
According to the report, a letter and hand written will were found in her room. The resident reported her sister was recently released from the hospital where she had been on life support. A “be on the look out” has been requested for all surrounding agencies.
December 12
• Humphrey Avenue, Crowder resident reported to Deputy Jeremy Hailey her grown child hit her in the head. Upon arrival Deputy Hailey spoke to the resident  who reported her 16-year-old hit her and had a knot under her left eye.
According to the report, Deputy Hailey detected a strong odor of an intoxicating beverage coming from the resident. Deputy Hailey spoke with the juvenile who reported her mom grabbed her and would not let her go.
According to the report, the resident then started saying, “Y’all sidin’ with her, so y’all just let me die.” Deputy Hailey asked the juvenile if she had somewhere to go for the night and she stated she could go to her aunt’s house.
• Hunt Road resident reported to Lieutenant Chuck Tucker one of her workers left the farm and returned to find the gate to the property down off the hinges. According to the report, there was no damage to the gate and nothing appeared to be missing.
• Chickasaw Road, Pope resident reported to Investigator Danny Beavers she attempted to purchase a puppy over the internet. According to the report, the resident sent $700 to an individual in Durham, North Carolina via Western Union.
The resident stated the individual kept requesting more money in the amount of $950, which is when the resident realized that it was probably a scam. The resident has been unable to contact the individual.
• Lieutenant Tucker was dispatched to Eureka Road in reference to some threatening text messages. Upon arrival, Lieutenant Tucker spoke to the resident who stated he had a motor put in his car about two months ago and about one month ago he went and got the heads off of his old motor.
Now the individual who put the motor in his car is saying the resident owes him money and is threatening to do bodily harm if he doesn’t receive the money, according to the report.
December 13
• Deputy Steven Moore responded to Camille Street in Sardis in reference to a disturbance. Upon arrival Deputy Moore spoke with a resident who stated she was dating the suspect and he had been living with her for a week.
According to the report, the victim stated she and the suspect broke up and she asked him to move out of her house. The resident stated the suspect began packing up his things when an unknown female arrived at the residence.
According to the report, the resident asked her to leave and the suspect intervened and shoved the resident into the female’s car and began to hit her with a closed fist in the top of the head. The resident sustained minor abrasions to her knees, lip, neck as well as swelling to the back of her head.
The resident stated she managed to get up and get back inside of her home. According to the report, the resident’s ex-father-in-law arrived at the residence and exchanged words with the suspect. The suspect was placed into custody.
• Curtis Road resident reported to the Sheriff’s Office her house burned down on November 18, 2016 and her 9mm Smith and Wesson was recovered with minor burns. The resident stated she placed the pistol and two clips in the glove box in her vehicle and Saturday she noticed the items missing.
December 14
• At approximately 9:22 a.m. Deputy Crawford was patrolling the area of Upton Road and observed a green Honda parked on abandoned property. According to the report, there have been some complaints of suspicious activity at the residence.
“As I pulled into the residence and closed in the distance to the car I observed movement in the passenger seat. I exited my patrol car and observed two people, male and female, sharing an intimate moment in the passenger seat of the car,” Deputy Crawford stated.
Deputy Crawford asked the individuals to get dressed and provide their identification. Further investigation revealed there was an National Crime Information Center (NCIC) hit on the female out of Desoto County, according to the report.
The female was taken into custody. Deputy Crawford spoke to the male and asked if there were any narcotics or anything else in the car, to which he replied “No” and stated the vehicle could be searched.
During the search a small bag of an ice-like substance was recovered from the female’s wallet in her purse and two pipes were located under the passenger seat.
After being questioned about using methamphetamine, the male passenger confessed to him and the female having smoked methamphetamine that morning, according to the report.
The male subject was taken into custody and the narcotics were turned over to other agents on the scene.
• Deputy Hunter Lawrence responded to a call on Ballentine Road in reference to an abandoned vehicle. Upon arrival it was discovered that the vehicle was stolen from Como. The vehicle was towed to the Como Police Department.
• Main Street, Pope resident reported she received a phone call about making a payment from Cashnet USA. The resident reported to Deputy Hailey she had no idea what the callers were talking about.
According to the report, someone deposited $500 in a banking account in August of 2016 and the resident reported she closed that account two years ago. The incident is under further investigation.
• Ballentine Road, Sardis resident reported to Deputy Lawrence he was released from prison a week ago with orders of no contact with the suspect.
According to the report, the suspect came over to the residence on the night of his release and he advised her they were not suppose to have any contact. The resident reported he has been harassed multiple times since last week.
• Blue Jay Way, Pope resident reported an individual threatened him by cussing and telling him he had something for him, by reaching down to his side as if to have a weapon and insinuated he would shoot him, according to the report. The resident is worried the suspect will try to do something to him or his family.
• Deputy Lawrence and Lieutenant Renfroe observed a silver Saturn Aura parked on the edge of Bell Road unoccupied. After running the tag the vehicle came back to a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer.
The vehicle was inventoried and towed to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office. During an inventory check of the vehicle a silver container was found with a plastic sack of white residue inside. The investigation is ongoing.
• Willa Street resident reported to Deputy Lawrence she purchased property on Nash Road two years ago and stated she and the suspect had a dispute over the property. The resident stated the suspect has been trespassing onto her property.
December 15
• Deputy Moore responded to West Section Road, Como in reference to an abandoned vehicle. Deputy Moore spoke to an individual who advised he was leasing hunting property from the land owner.
The individual reported he arrived on the property to hunt and noticed a vehicle parked deep into the woods. After running the VIN number dispatch advised the Ford Fiesta had been stolen from Auto Barn in Como.
The Como Police Department was notified that the vehicle had been recovered. According to the report, a deer camera was discovered pointing to the vehicle and the SD card to the camera was taken into evidence. The investigation is ongoing.
• Deputy Moore responded to Hawkins Road, Courtland in reference to a panic alarm. Deputy Moore spoke to the home owner’s brother who advised they were having trouble out of the security alarm.
According to the report, the individual also reported his Winchester rifle was missing from his sister’s home. The individual stated he didn’t report it immediately because he wasn’t sure if a family member borrowed it.
After checking with family members the individual discovered the rifle was stolen. The individual advised he would get the serial number so the gun could be placed on the NCIC.
• Goodnight Road, Sardis resident reported to Deputy Still two males came into her home and stole her 47” Samsung TV.
According to the report, the resident has pictures on her phone taken from a camera in her kitchen of what appeared to be two men but were too blurry to identify. The incident is under further investigation.
• H Club Road, Sardis resident reported to Deputy Moore an individual trespassed onto his property. According to the report, the resident advised he was outside his residence and he could hear a lot of banging coming from his Christiam Camp across the road.
The resident stated he fired a shot into the ground in an attempt to scare off the trespassers.
According to the report, the subject replied that didn’t scare them. The resident stated he then saw a white Ford F-150 pickup truck come by his residence and go onto the Army Corp of Engineers property.
Deputy Moore attempted to locate the vehicle and discovered one of the fence gate chains had been cut. The resident requested more patrols in the area.
• Investigator Beavers spoke to a Bill Wallace Road, Sardis resident who reported receiving threating texts from an individual because the individual believes the resident is spending all of her daddy’s money and wants her to stop, according to the report. The resident stated she is concerned the individual will try to hurt her.
December 16
Deputy Still spoke to an individual who reported the suspect entered M&M First Stop and took several items without paying for them and has done this on several different occasions, according to the report.
Motor Vehicle Incident Report
• December 12, Individual lost control of his vehicle on Chapel Hill Road.
• December 14, Car hit a deer on Terza Road.