The Ridgeland Police Department has released an update after a teenager fled from officers in a stolen car on New Year’s Eve before being shot and subsequently taken into custody.
On Tuesday afternoon, a 16-year-old male was spotted inside a stolen vehicle parked outside the Barnes & Noble at the Renaissance mall. When an officer approached the vehicle, the suspect drove toward the officer and struck him before hitting multiple cars on his way out of the parking lot.
It wasn’t until multiple shots were fired and five miles later that the suspect crashed at Watkins Drive and Interstate 220 in Jackson. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Jackson Police Department, Madison Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office, worked with Ridgeland police to handcuff the suspect and transport him to a local hospital.
On Friday, law enforcement noted the suspect had been released from the hospital and is currently being held at the Warren County Juvenile Detention Center in Vicksburg, about 50 miles west of Ridgeland.
Law enforcement also provided an update on the charges pressed against the teenager: aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony receiving stolen property, and felony evasion.
While the identity of the suspect has still not been released, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said he was no stranger to police before the Ridgeland incident.
“He has been arrested and charged with murder previously,” Wade told WAPT after the arrest. “Apparently, he’s out today, stealing cars, and he came in contact with law enforcement.”
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is spearheading the investigation with all findings required to be submitted to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, as is the standard for all officer-involved shootings.
